The Attorney General’s Office carried out preventive action for an alleged breach of IDEAM regarding access and transparency of information.
The control entity warned that the data disclosed by the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM), on deforestation in Colombia, could be in breach of the principles of the Transparency Law and the Right of access to Public information.
According to the control entity, the availability and data on deforestation in the country, published in IDEAM’s quarterly reports, would be in breach of the parameters stipulated in the Escazú Agreement, an international treaty signed by Colombia and with some of the articles ordered by the transparency law (Law 1712 of 2014), specifically to what refers to that all information is public and may not be reserved or limited except by legal constitutional provision, complying with the principles of transparency, opportunity and accessibility, among others.
The call was made at the recent Technical Monitoring Table, convened to review compliance with the commitments of the entities regarding Directive 006 of the Public Ministry, issued to curb livestock activities as a focus of deforestation in Colombia and for the protection of National Natural Parks and Regional Natural Parks, protected areas affected by this practice.
The control entity also indicated that, it is noteworthy that although it is clear that the Colombian Agricultural Institute -ICA, postponed by resolution, the suspension and cancellation of records of livestock farms until March 2024 and protected areas, not the generation of new Sanitary Records in active deforestation nuclei inside the parks is explained.
Finally, the Attorney General’s Office asked the competent authorities to support the next assemblies that will be held with the communities in the departments of Meta and Guaviare, the result of the work groups held with the peasant leaders and government institutions, where the signature is expected. of conservation agreements in areas with little or no governance.
The monitoring table was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development. National Parks, Colombian Agricultural Institute – ICA, Amazonia Mía – USAID, among others.
