Latinamerican Water Tribunal
| Latin American Water Tribunal |
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The LATIN AMERICAN WATER TRIBUNAL is an autonomous, independent and international organization of environmental justice created to contribute in the solution of water related conflicts in Latin America. It bases its work on principles such as the balanced coexistence with nature, respect for human dignity and solidarity among peoples for the preservation of the region’s water systems. It is a justice setting for searching solutions to the water conflicts, in addition to those efforts made by Latin-American citizens before other judicial and administrative institutions for the preservation of the environment and the water protection. The LATIN AMERICAN WATER TRIBUNAL is an ethical institution committed to preserving the water and to guaranteeing its access as a human right for current and future generations. Its legitimacy is originated from both, the moral nature of its resolutions and the juridical fundamentals they are based on. The covenants, declarations and international treaties ratified for the protection of the environment are essential in this institution’s operation. The Tribunal’s activities are based on four main guidelines: • The Generation of new justice settings. • The resolution of Water related conflicts. • The enforcement of rigorous ethical values. • Education and awareness for the adequate water systems protection. DENUNCIATIONS Every individual, group of people and organization that knows of a threat to the water bodies or to the sustainable use of water, or that undergoes the consequences from the water misuse, may file an action before the Tribunal. The allegations must be duly supported with technical and scientific evidence that demonstrates the likely impacts on the environment. Moreover, the public institutions whose actions and negligence contribute to such harmful practices may be reported before the Tribunal. THE CASES The technical and scientific commission from the Latin American Water Tribunal is in charge of selecting those cases under its examination. It is formed by a group of professionals and technicians who carry out a thorough study to determine the most representative and best supported causes to be reviewed in a Public Hearing. The cases that reach these hearings are those that pose the greatest hazard to a large population, or to water bodies and their basins, as long as they are particularly relevant to human life’s preservation and that of the environment. Those actions that are not chosen for a public hearing are also reviewed, in order to provide technical guidance to the plaintiffs in the resolution of their conflicts. THE JURY The public hearing’s jury is a multi-disciplinary one formed by distinguished professionals from the region’s countries as well as from other continents. They are people who have stood out in areas such as education, science, or in the exercise of public charges. The main requisite to become a member of the jury is having a proven ethical integrity. THE VERDICTS After the public hearing, the verdicts rendered by the Latin American Water Court become a baseline for the negotiation of the parties involved, which may take into consideration the recommendations issued by the jury in order to work on the conflict’s solution. In case the defendants are reluctant to solve the conflict, the verdict becomes a pressure tool for the public institutions to take the adequate measures to work out the dispute.The Tribunal’s resolution could be spread in the mass media, so that the public opinion becomes aware of the water related disputes. |