The Secretariat for Environmental Matters (SEM) is an international organization created within the framework of the Free Trade Agreement between the Dominican Republic, Central America, and the United States of America (CAFTA-DR). This Agreement includes for the first time in the region a chapter dedicated to the environment (Chapter 17) in a free trade agreement.
The Secretariat is established with the objective of receiving and processing public Submissions related to the effective enforcement of environmental legislation in any of the seven signatory countries of the Agreement.
Registry of Submissions
The environmental submissions mechanism aims to facilitate public participation in environmental issues for the CAFTA-DR region.
The mechanism promotes transparency and facilitates access to public environmental information in specific cases.
It seeks to facilitate the exchange of concerns, ideas, and experiences among individuals to find collaborative solutions.
In accordance with Article 17.7 of the Agreement, any person from a Party may file a submission arguing that one of the signatory Parties of the Agreement is failing to effectively enforce its environmental legislation.
In general terms, according to the Working Procedures, a submission:
Use of the MechanismThe Public Registry includes all Submissions filed to the SEM, along with their supporting documents and a detailed follow-up of the process for each case.
Registry of SubmissionsThe Environmental Affairs Council, composed of cabinet members or their equivalents, meets annually to oversee the implementation and assess the progress of Chapter 17 of the CAFTA-DR, and to consider the status of cooperative activities developed under the Environmental Cooperation Agreement.
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