The Access Initiative Assessment For Jamaica November 2014 1 An Assessment of Access to Environmental Information, Participation and Justice in Jamaica By The Access Initiative – Jamaica Jamaica Environment Trust Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation North Cockpit Country Local Forest Management Committee Windsor Research Centre Kingston, Jamaica November 2014 The Access Initiative Assessment For Jamaica November 2014 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Acronyms and Abbreviations ................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... 5 The Access Initiative – Jamaica ................................................................................ 6 Executive Summary ................................................................................................... 7 Chapter One ................................................................................................................ 13 TAI Assessment Methodology ......................................................................... 13 1.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 13 Chapter Two ................................................................................................................ 16 Case Studies ......................................................................................................... 16 2.2 Social, Environmental and Political Context ........................................... 18 2.3 Access to Information Case Studies .......................................................... 20 2.4 Public Participation Case Studies .............................................................. 24 2.5 Access to Justice Case Studies .................................................................... 27 Chapter Three ............................................................................................................. 29 Constitutional Law Assessment ....................................................................... 29 Chapter Four ............................................................................................................... 31 Access to Information ......................................................................................... 31 Chapter Five ................................................................................................................ 44 Public Particpation ............................................................................................. 44 Chapter Six .................................................................................................................. 53 Access to Justice .................................................................................................. 53 Chapter Seven ............................................................................................................ 62 Capacity Buidling ................................................................................................ 62 Chapter Eight .............................................................................................................. 68 Conclusion and Recommendations ................................................................. 68 3 The Access Initiative Assessment For Jamaica November 2014 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ATI Access to Information Act CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CCAM Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation CEPF Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund CHEC China Harbour Engineering Company CPR Civil Procedure Rules of Jamaica CSO Civil Society Organisations EIA Environmental Impact Assessment GDP Gross Domestic Product JBI Jamaica Bauxite Institute JET Jamaica Environment Trust JIEP Jamaica Institute of Environmental Professionals MWLECC Ministry of Water, Land, Environment and Climate Change NCCLFMC Northern Cockpit Country Local Forest Management Committee NEGAR National Ecological Gap Assessment Report NEPA National Environment and Planning Agency NGO Non-governmental Orgnanisation NRCA Natural Resources Conservation Authority NSWMA National Solid Waste Management Authority PAJ Port Authority of Jamaica PASMP Protected Areas System Master Plan PBPA Portland Bight Protected Area PRTR Pollutant Release and Transfer Register RCCL Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines TAI The Access Initiative TNC The Nature Conservancy UNDP United Nations Development Programme UWI University of the West Indies WRA Water Resources Authority WRC Windsor Research Centre WRI World Resources Institute The Access Initiative Assessment For Jamaica November 2014 4 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Access Initiative – Jamaica (TAI Jamaica) is a national coalition that promotes transparency public participation and accountability as essential elements in achieving sustainable development. TAI Jamaica provides the platform for constructive government-civil society dialogue and collaboration that seeks to advance access rights in Jamaica. TAI Jamaica is led by a core team of non-governmental organisations: the Jamaica Environment Trust (JET), the Windsor Research Centre (WRC), the Caribbean Coastal Area Management Foundation (CCAM) and the North Cockpit Country Local Forest Management Committee (NCCLFMC). This Report was prepared by the TAI Jamaica Research Team: Diana McCaulay, Danielle Andrade and Lisa Russell of JET; Ingrid Parchment of CCAM; Lorna Williams-Christie of the NCCLFMC and volunteer research assistants: Nisheeka Blackstock, Shountae Boothe, Lorn Dwyer and Kerona Spence. The Report consolidates the case studies conducted by the TAI Jamaica Research Team, using the assessment method developed by The Access Initiative, a global network of civil society organizations. TAI Jamaica expresses their gratitude to the environmental NGOs, government representatives and others who participated in the TAI case studies and who contributed information and shared their experiences on access to information, participation, and justice in environmental decision-making. TAI Jamaica gratefully acknowledges the World Resources Institute (WRI), the Access Initiative network, and the Critical Ecosystems Partnership Fund (CEPF) for providing support to establish the TAI National Coalition and to undertake the TAI- Jamaica Assessment. The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund is a joint initiative of L’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank. A fundamental goal is to ensure civil society is engaged in biodiversity conservation. Unless otherwise noted, the opinions, interpretations and findings presented in this document are the responsibility of TAI Jamaica and not of The Access Initiative. For additional information about The Access Initiative, including its members and leadership, please see www.accessinitiative.org. 5 The Access Initiative Assessment For Jamaica November 2014 THE ACCESS INITIATIVE - JAMAICA Lead Organization: Jamaica Environment Trust 11 Waterloo Road Kingston 10 Telephone: (876) 960-3693 Fax: (876) 926-0212 Email: [email protected] The Access Initiative Assessment For Jamaica November 2014 6 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In 1992, 178 governments including Jamaica, adopted the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development and committed to making environmental decisions more transparent by empowering people to participate in decision-making. The Rio Declaration called for the promotion of access rights: Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice. Access to Information is the cornerstone of decision-making, providing the public with knowledge and evidence to make choices about and monitor the state of the environment. Public Participation allows citizens to express opinions, challenge decisions, and shape policies that could affect their livelihoods, health and environment. Access to Justice enables citizens to seek legal recourse if their access rights have been denied or if they have suffered an environmental harm. This report evaluates the extent of progress made in implementing access rights in law and in practice in Jamaica. The report also assesses existing measures to build the capacity of both government agencies and civil society to facilitate access to information, participation, and justice. Recommendations are proposed for overcoming existing hurdles. These findings are based on the research conducted by The Access Initiative (TAI) Jamaica during the period November 2013 to June 2014. The research team applied 148 standardized research questions THE ACCESS INITIATIVE (“indicators”) to 18 case studies under three categories: Access to Information, The Access Initiative is the world’s Public Participation and Access to largest network of civil society organizations dedicated to ensuring Justice. The methodology and indicators that local communities have the used in this assessment can be viewed rights and abilities to gain access to online at www.accessintiative.org. information and to participate in decisions that affect their lives and This report is for both members of their environment. government and civil society. It is anticipated that these findings will assist Members from around the world the Jamaican Government in making carry out evidence-based advocacy effective changes to promote access to encourage collaboration and rights and will strengthen the public’s innovation that advances