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The US, five Central American nations (Costa Rica, Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala) and the Dominican Republic signed two environmental agreements associated with the free trade agreement (Central American Free Trade Agreement-Dominican Republic, CAFTA-DR) that the seven countries concluded in August 2004. The “’Environmental Cooperation Agreement’ outlines a framework for environmental cooperation among countries to improve environmental protection in the region. The ‘Understanding Regarding the Establishment of a Secretariat for Environmental Matters’ establishes a secretariat charged with administering a public submissions process for complaints regarding the enforcement of national environmental laws. Some civil society groups saw the environmental provisions as “a positive precedent in the efforts for environmental protection in Central America”, and policymakers predicted it would ease the debate within the US Congress on approval of CAFTA-DR. Others, however, were more sceptical. Angel Ibarra, president of the Salvadoran Ecological Unit, described the environmental clauses as ”pure rhetoric, because there are no mechanisms or measures that require countries to protect their natural resources”, warning that CAFTA-DR would instead result in ecological damage.
ICTSD reporting; “The ‘Green’ Promises of CAFTA,” INTER PRESS SERVICE, 17 February 2005; “US, CAFTA countries sign environmental deals,” REUTERS, 18 February 2005.
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