秘书处关于拉丁美洲和加勒比污染物释放和转移登记册的报（英）

Fourth Meeting of the Conference of the Partiesto the Regional Agreement on Access to Information,Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Mattersin Latin America and the Caribbean Nassau, 21–24 April 2026 REPORT BY THE SECRETARIAT ON POLLUTANT RELEASE AND TRANSFER REGISTERSIN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN CURRENT STATUS, GOOD PRACTICES AND RECOMMENDATIONS This document contains the report by the Secretariat entitled “Pollutant release and transfer registers in Latin Americaand the Caribbean: current status, good practices and recommendations” prepared in accordance with paragraph 8 ofdecision III/1 of the Third Conference of the Parties to the Escazú Agreement. The Secretariat invites States Partiesand observers to submit comments and observations by 1 June 2026. Thereafter, the final version of the document willbe published. The United Nations and the countries it represents assume no responsibility for the content of links to external sites inthis publication. The views expressed in this document, an unofficial, artificial intelligence-generated translation of a Spanish originalwhich did not undergo formal editing, are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of theOrganization or the countries it represents. Applications for authorization to reproduce this work in whole or in part should be sent to the Economic CommissionforLatinAmericaandtheCaribbean(ECLAC),PublicationsandWebServicesDivision,publicaciones.cepal@un.org. Member States and their governmental institutions may reproduce this work withoutprior authorization, but are requested to mention the source and to inform ECLAC of such reproduction. CONTENTS A. INTRODUCTION..................................................................................................................................................4B. OBJECTIVE...........................................................................................................................................................4C. METHODOLOGY..................................................................................................................................................5D. REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL COOPERATION MECHANISMS (RECMs)UNDER THE ESCAZÚ AGREEMENT AND REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE...................6E. DEFINITION, FUNCTIONING AND ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF A PRTR...........................................13F.ASSESSMENT OF EPR SYSTEMS IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN.....................................20G. GOOD PRACTICES IN THE INITIATION, OPERATION AND IMPROVEMENT PHASES.........................73H. ENABLING AND LIMITING FACTORS FOR THE INITIATION, OPERATIONAND IMPROVEMENT OF PRTRs...................................................................................................................120I.CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS..............................................................................................124BIBLIOGRAPHY.....................................................................................................................................................128ANNEX...................................................................................................................................................................133 A. INTRODUCTION Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers (PRTRs)are key instruments for guaranteeing access toenvironmental information, strengthening transparency, accountability and informed public participation inenvironmental decision-making processes. By systematizing and publishing verifiable data on the releaseof pollutants into the air, water, soil and subsoil from point and diffuse sources, and on their transfer awayfrom the site of origin, PRTRs strengthen environmental governance, reinforce countries’ institutionalcapacity to fully and effectively implement their regulatory frameworks, and facilitate a progressiveimprovement in environmental management and control. In this regard, PRTRs constitute strategic toolsfor addressing the structural development traps identified by ECLAC (2025), in particular the trap of weakinstitutional frameworks and the trap of low capacities, contributing to the strengthening of more coherent,efficient and sustainable development-oriented environmental policies. In Latin America and the Caribbean, the adoption and implementation of PRTRs systems have followedvaried trajectories, reflecting both the progress made and the structural, regulatory and technical challengesfacing the region. Whilst some countries have consolidated operational systems with national coverage,others are in the early stages of design or have not yet developed specific instruments in this area.Nevertheless, there is a growing regional interest in strengthening these systems, driven by internationalcommitments—including the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation andAccess to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (th