Organized civil society and the people who sign this statement express our deep rejection of the alleged cutback in environmental institutions and the merger of environmental entities such as SENACE, ANA, SERFOR and SERNANP.
On August 4, the National Society of Mining, Petroleum and Energy (SNMPE) reported in the media a series of proposals that were detrimental to environmental institutions within the framework of the discourse to promote national economic reactivation. The main proposal is the merger of SENACE (national service that emits environmental certifications for sustainable investments) with other environmental institutions such as the National Water Authority (ANA), the National Forest and Wildlife Service (SERFOR) and the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (SERNANP), authorities that among other important functions, issue binding technical opinions for the environmental certifications of investment projects. After said merger, the organization would no longer be attached to the Ministry of the Environment (MINAM) but directly to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM). In addition, a renewed system of the Supporting Technical Report (ITS) is proposed.
On August 14, in the newspaper La República, the Executive Power mentioned that it «has welcomed» the private initiative so that the functions of ANA, SERNANP and SERFOR are «absorbed» by SENACE, within the PCM, something that in practice would mean the disappearance of these institutions. The Minister of Economy and Finance, Alex Contreras, said in June that his office is working to reduce 21 procedures related to environmental certification.
Let us remember that there is an Inter-institutional Coordination Strategy (ECI) that brings together SENACE, ANA, SERFOR and SERNANP, and that SENACE has already been reinforcing its processes with guidelines and procedures. However, these merger proposals would affect the institutionality of organizations that have their own and complementary competences greater than being technical opinion-makers, within the framework of the National Environmental Management System (SNGA) and the National Environmental Impact Assessment System (SEIA).
On May 30, Supreme Decree No. 006-2023-MINAM was published, whose Fourth Final Complementary Provision states that the provisions of Supreme Decree 004-2022-MINAM (referring to the Single Procedure of the Environmental Certification Process – PUPCA) will only be applied on January 1, 2025. This implies, in practice, the suspension of the regulations for more than 19 months.
In this sense, the actions and proposals of the private sector and the Government would lead to the weakening of environmental institutions because they reduce the functions of MINAM as the governing body of said sector, as well as those of the SNGA and SEIA, instead of promoting solid environmental evaluation processes and strengthening the capacities of the authorities so that this contributes to giving predictability to the procedures.
Let us remember that in 2013 and 2014 with the so-called «environmental packages» weak instruments were created, such as the Supporting Technical Reports (ITS); the functions of the Agency for Environmental Assessment and Enforcement (OEFA) were reduced; the Single Window for Environmental Certification was used, among others. In addition, the concessions in the energy and mining sector in the country have been questioned not only for their negative impacts, but also for the permissiveness to which they have been subjected to, which can be observed through the non-effectiveness of the sanctions imposed by the State for non-compliance with environmental obligations when prosecuted, tax benefits, payments of tax debts eternally deferred and prosecuted, among other benefits, evidencing that the strengthening of our environmental institutions is still pending and, even more, its focus on rights.
It is clear then that this is another attempted coup against environmental institutions, since it seeks to make environmental procedures more flexible according to private interests, without considering that this could generate greater socio-environmental conflicts due to the lack of transparent processes and citizen participation. For this reason, we warn about the serious setback that the advancement of this proposal would mean, since it entails the disappearance of various environmental authorities, whose creation represented a key step for environmental governance in the country, in addition to going against Peru’s efforts to its access to the OECD.
For the reasons stated, the signatory organizations reject these proposals and demand that:
- The PCM rejects the proposals made by the SNMPE, because they entail the elimination of the environmental authorities and would violate the impartiality of the certification processes, which would affect the collective rights of indigenous peoples and the processes of citizen participation in general.
- MINAM rejects these proposals as a governing body within the framework of our national regulations, as well as in respect of international environmental commitments and even trade agreements that include an environmental chapter, such as the Free Trade Agreement of Peru with the United States and the Peru Trade Agreement – European Union, among others.
- The changes or reforms proposed by the private sector have as part of their objectives the respect and strengthening of the environmental and social aspects in the modernization of the infrastructure and in the management of the mining-energy sector itself.
- The Congress of the Republic pronounces itself in favor of laws that seek the public benefit of citizens; the modernization of investment projects from a socio-environmental sustainability approach; and the strengthening of environmental and social management by the corresponding institutions.
- The Government prioritizes reforms to strengthen governance, transparency, supervision, participation and the fight against corruption to avoid damage to the national treasury.
- Urgently implement a socio-environmental monitoring system and monthly updated follow-up of projects and contracts by the competent authorities that allows permanent surveillance that involves all citizens, indigenous peoples and their representative organizations; to the State, academia and the private sector.
- The monitoring capacities of the regulatory and supervisory entities are strengthened to monitor the socio-environmental impacts, in order to prevent them or that corrective measures of effective application are executed to remedy them; and in this way ensure the rights of populations that may be affected by socio-environmental risks.
Finally, we demand that the Executive, especially the sectors involved, assume a coherent position to fight corruption and ensure vulnerable populations, as well as a correct policy to improve the environmental management of investments through a broad debate that not only does not involve the business sector, but also civil society, indigenous peoples and organized local populations.
Sustainable development and growth are possible with responsible governance, participation and respect for rights. That must be the way.
August 16, 2023
Hereby sign:
Organizations
- Agencia de Investigación Ambiental – EIA
- Área de Justicia y Paz Diócesis de Chulucanas
- Asociación Arariwa
- Asociación Ecosistemas Andinos
- Asociación Nacional de Centros – ANC
- Asociación Peruana para la Conservación de la Naturaleza – APECO
- Asociación SEPAR
- Asociación Pro Fauna Silvestre, Ayacucho
- Asociación Proyecto Amigo
- Asociación Servicios Educativos Rurales – SER
- CEDER
- Centro Amazónico de Antropología y Aplicación Práctica – CAAAP
- Centro Bartolomé de las Casas – CBC
- Centro de Estudios y Promoción del Desarrollo – DESCO
- Centro de Estudios y Promoción del Desarrollo del Sur – DESCO SUR
- Centro de Investigación y Promoción del Campesinado – CIPCA
- Centro para el Desarrollo del Indígena Amazónico – CEDIA
- Centro Peruano de Estudios Sociales – CEPES
- Comisión Episcopal de Acción Social – CEAS
- Confederación de Emprendedores del Bicentenario – CONFEBI PERÚ
- Conservación Amazónica – ACCA
- Conservation Strategy Fund – CSF
- CooperAcción
- Cuencas – Red de Asuntos Amazónicos
- Derecho, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales – DAR
- Derechos Humanos Sin Fronteras – DHSF
- Derechos Humanos y Medio Ambiente – DHUMA
- ECOREDD
- IDS Prospectiva Amazónica
- Instituto de Abogados para la Protección del Medio Ambiente – INSAPROMA
- Instituto de Defensa Legal del Ambiente y el Desarrollo Sostenible Perú – IDLADS
- Instituto de Estudios de las Culturas Andinas – IDECA
- Instituto del Bien Común – IBC
- Instituto Natura
- Fomento de la vida – FOVIDA
- Foro Ecológico del Perú
- Forum Solidaridad Perú (FSP)
- Fundación Ecuménica para el Desarrollo y la Paz – FEDEPAZ
- GRUFIDES
- Grupo de Trabajo sobre impactos de los Hidrocarburos GTIH – CNDDHH
- Grupo Propuesta Ciudadana – GPC
- Mesa Técnica de Salud Ambiental y Humana
- Movimiento Ciudadano frente al Cambio Climático – MOCICC
- MUQUI SUR
- Nodo Perú – Red Iglesias y Minería
- Oxfam
- Pachamama Alliance Perú
- Paz y Esperanza
- Perú Equidad
- Plataforma de Sociedad Civil sobre Empresas y Derechos Humanos – PSCEDDHH
- Programa Laboral de Desarrollo – PLADES
- Pudú
- Red Agua Desarrollo y Democracia
- Red Ambiental Peruana – RAP
- Red nacional de conservación voluntaria y comunal «Amazonía Que Late»
- Red Muqui
- Red Pastoral Pueblos Indígenas y Ecología Integral
- Red Peruana por una Globalización con Equidad – RedGE
- Red Uniendo Manos Perú
- SDSN Amazônia
- Sociedad Zoológica de Frankfort – Perú FZS – Perú
- Tierra Activa Perú – TAP
- Viernes por el Futuro Perú – VPF Perú
- WeWorld Onlus
- Yunkawasi
Civilians
- Adda Chuecas Cabrera (DNI 07840375)
- Adelaida Alayza (DNI 07258944)
- Allison Cadenillas (DNI 71085752)
- Ana Espejo López (DNI 05958146)
- Ana Romero Cano (DNI 09672155)
- Andy Philipps Zeballos (48234216)
- Arnold Fernández Rivas (DNI 45092526)
- Arturo Leonardo Ruiz Chapilliquén (DNI 02636211)
- Boris Blanco Gallegos (DNI 75494307)
- Carla Rojas (DNI 76096998)
- Carmela Landeo Sánchez (DNI 08645868)
- Cecilia Sueiro Mosquera (DNI 45305139)
- César A. Ipenza Peralta (DNI 40287902)
- César Francisco Flores Negrón (DNI 08732424)
- Corrado Scropetta (CE 002733512)
- Edgar Aranibar (DNI 09993693)
- Gabriela Rueda Olivera (DNI 46193773)
- Genara Ugarte Loaiza (DNI 31000277)
- Gianina Melissa Huallpa Raya (DNI 70362759)
- Giovanna Vásquez (DNI 29227080)
- Giuliana Cecilia Larrea Aguinaga (DNI 40826401)
- Kely Alfaro Montoya (DNI 44561170)
- Henrry Vásquez (DNI 41000746)
- Isabel Sosa (DNI 43215655)
- Javier Jahncke Benavente (DNI ‘07261449)
- José Luis Ricapa Ninanya (DNI 41687723)
- José Ricardo Pineda Milicich (DNI 02677294)
- Juan Luis Dammert Bello (DNI 40679736)
- Julia Cuadros (DNI 07535179)
- Laureano del Castillo Pinto (DNI 07551595)
- Luis Enrique Rivera Segura (DNI 70586551)
- Manuel Boluarte Carbajal (DNI 16168458)
- Manuel Dámaso Cuentas Robles
- Manuel Nivardo Santillán Romero (DNI 19839567)
- Manuela Zuñiga Cardenas (DNI 07906262)
- María del Carmen Jamjachi Cerrón (DNI 74144331)
- María Elena Foronda Farro (DNI 32985633)
- María Peralta Berríos (DNI 08067422)
- Nury García Córdova (DNI 08188746)
- Patricia Fernández-Dávila Messum (DNI 08220816)
- Patricia Torres Muñoz (DNI 40599928)
- Ramón Rivero Mejía (DNI 40684427)
- Richard O’Diana Rocca (DNI 70434839)
- Rosa Etelbina Prieto Mendoza (DNI 02609860)
- Rosa Karina Pinasco Vela (DNI 00964487)
- Rossana Violeta Angeles Rodriguez (DNI 06443704)
- Roxana P Arauco Aliaga (DNI 10352911)
- Selene Azul Astrid Benavente García (DNI 46517365)
- Sharen Lis Alvis Alfaro (DNI 75436418)
- Sonia Johana Asurza Espíritu (DNI 46618335)
- Virna Mariel Chávez Mayta (DNI 71631883)
- Wilmer Federico Bermejo Requena (DNI 02613068)
- Yolanda Mottoccanchi Bustinza (DNI 23941434)