Political Advocacy - Lines of action - Panama
- Details
- Published on Tuesday, 07 February 2012 15:38
- Written by Super User
Political Advocacy Program - Panama
Through its political advocacy, MarViva has managed to raise the profile of marine conservation and the responsible use of coastal and marine resources in the policy arena to the extent that the government, resource users, NGOs and decision makers prioritize these themes in the nation’s environmental management.
One of the most important achievements has been fostering public opinion that is favorable toward the concept of Political Advocacy.
The Foundation is recognized for working on properly informed political advocacy processes in an opportune and responsible way; clear examples are: legal initiatives for the creation of Coiba National Park, the creation of Panama’s Aquatic Resources Authority (ARAP), the banning of shark finning, and the creation of the Marine Mammal Sanctuary in all jurisdictional waters of the Republic of Panama.
Similarly, it can have an effect on decision-making processes to reverse the negative impacts of regulations, which without consultation and consensus building aim to eliminate regulations in force that are essential for keeping the environmental management system robust, as in the case of the Exclusion Zone in the Panamanian Pacific for tuna fishing with purse seines and the elimination of environmental assessment as a requirement prior to the initiation of projects.
Governance schemes have also been inserted as the best means of addressing environmental issues regarding marine spaces, promoting and participating in entities for intersectoral consultation and decision making such as the National Commission for Responsible Fishing, the Steering Committee for Coiba National Park, and the Commission for the Management of the Special Zone for Marine Protection.
Political Advocacy work is done in partnership with the Public Ministry, the Judicial Body and other environmental organizations, private enterprise, fishers, scientists, and other key actors to improve decision making, institutional strengthening, and optimal management of coastal and marine resources through regulations of human activities in the sea.
