Both ENDS

News / 11 juni 2012

What does FARN from Argentina expect from Rio+20?

FARN (Environment and Natural Resources Foundation) is one of Both ENDS' partner organisations. FARN pressures the Argentinian authorities to make its policies more sustainable, through existing national and international law and legislation. We spoke with Ana di Pangracio, a lawyer specialised in environmental law and working at FARN.


What will FARN be doing during RIO+20?
"Participating in RIO+20 is a continuation of our involvement with Rio de Janeiro in '92 and Johannesburg in 2002. One of the most important principles FARN tries to protect - also the theme of our side-events - is non-regression. This means that we must never take a step back in environmental legislation. We must never give up and always try to advance, but the most important thing is that existing laws are not weakened. A lot of important international principles have already been implemented on the national level, but these are always under pressure from, for example, economic sectors."

"The non-regression principle is acknowledged by experts in the field of environmental law from all over the world. We are organising side-events so we can exchange experiences on these matters, and at the same time strengthen our network."


What does FARN expect from RIO+20?
The most important thing is that a conference such as RIO+20 actually takes place. There will be no radical changes, but it is a step in the right direction. The international community feels the need to come together in order to exchange ideas about sustainable development, and RIO+20 offers this opportunity. It also ensures that we keep thinking about a sustainable future, so that we can move forward in the next ten years."

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