![handle is hein.journals/reel5 and id is 1 raw text is:
Volume 5 Issue 1 1996
[T]he culture of Co-operation is considered as the cor-
nerstone of our dialogue to the service of unity and
development
Conclusions of the Heads of State,
11 lbero-American Summit
Madrid, 24 July 19921
We must define our environmental agenda. If we fail to
evaluate objectively the problems and opportunities
presented by the region's natural heritage, we cannot
establish priorities for action and we will assuredly err
in designing the strategies that we believe can provide
us sustainable development. Environmental problems
are always determined by the economic and social
realities present in each development phase and by
characteristics of the natural and social environment.
It is up to us to point out those aspects which, because
of their serious nature, require the most urgent atten-
tion.
Our Own Agenda
Latin American and Caribbean Commission
on Development and Environment
(27 August 1990)2
Sumario
Am6rica Latina constituye una regi6n que ha dado expre-
si6n juridica, de conformidad con los principios del Dere-
cho International, a la necesidad de cooperar en materia
ambiental. En este sentido, los Estados que conforman la
regi6n han confeccionado una serie de tratados de cardcter
bilateral y subregional a fin de proporcionar un sustento
legal a la cooperaci6n en este rubro. Los compromisos asu-
midos a trav6s de los documentos que emanaron de la Con-
ferencia de Rio de Janeiro en 1992, cuentan con el reconoci-
miento de su validez por parte de los Estados
latinoamericanos. Ante todo, Am&rica Latina fundamenta
sus acciones en el Ambito ambiental mediante: consultas a
nivel politico; cooperaci6n en las esfaras legal y politica; y,
sobre la firme convicci6n que la cooperaci6n ambiental es
solo un aspecto, entre varios, que componen la prioridad
de lograr el desarrollo sostenible.
* Introduction
Latin America covers a vast extension of land and
maritime space, approximately 40 million square kilo-
metres of territory extending from the Rio Bravo on
the northern Mexican border, to Tierra del Fuego in
South America.3 This sheer physical expanse alone is
one factor that contributes to the unique concurrence
of a tremendous diversity of climates, geographical
conditions and ecosystems. In particular, the diverse
ecosystems are one of the most outstanding features
of this Region, wherein one may find almost every
type of ecosystem that exists in other parts of the
world, including coral reefs, tropical and boreal for-
ests, deserts, grasslands, mountain ranges and fresh-,
water resources.
In terms of biological diversity, this Region serves as
a reservoir for some of the most important flora and
fauna found on the globe, measured by the number
of species, genetic richness and the amount of endem-
isms. This richness in biodiversity is clearly demon-
strated by the fact that six latin american States,
together with seven non-latin american countries,
contain 70% of the existing biological diversity on the
planet: Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and
Venezuela.' Latin America is also the genetic centre
of diversity for wild germplasms of several plants with
agricultural importance - such as maiz, or corn, a
plant native to Mexico and Guatemala, and potatoes,
Blackwell Publishers Ltd. 1996, 108 Cowley Road, Oxford OX4 1IF, UK and 238 Main Street, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA.
1.
Legal Framework for
Environmental
Go-operation in Latin
America: An Overview
A/fonso Ascencio Herrera and
Paula M Pevato
?gal Framework for Environmental Co-operation](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/reel5&div=1&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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