CABEI initiates consultations plan within the framework of the Bio-CLIMA Project in the Republic of Nicaragua
Tegucigalpa, August 28st, 2023. - The Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) and the Republic of Nicaragua are implementing a Consultation and Free, Prior and Informed Consent Plan with the participation of 23 indigenous, Afro-descendant and ethnic territories on the Nicaraguan Caribbean Coast linked to the Bio-CLIMA Project: Integrated Climate Action to Reduce Deforestation and Strengthen Resilience in the Bosawás and Río San Juan Biosphere Reserves.
Free, prior and informed consultation is the most important instrument for guaranteeing respect for and protection of the rights of the indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples of Nicaragua's Caribbean Coast. CABEI recognizes this right through its Environmental and Social Policy, distinguishing the general principles of transparency, consultation and citizen participation.
The consultation plan is being carried out in coordination with the regional, territorial, and community governments in the project's area of influence and is expected to involve more than 6,476 people living in 338 communities in the South Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region (RACCS), North Caribbean Coast Autonomous Region (RACCN), and the Alto Wangki and Bocay Special Regime Zone. This initiative aims to promote dialogue, consultation and prior and informed intercultural consent, seeking to ensure the participation of indigenous groups and stakeholders in decision-making in order to protect their ethnic and cultural integrity.
CABEI reaffirms its commitment to the care, preservation and sustainability of the environment and its livelihoods in the region, and therefore guarantees compliance with its Environmental and Social Policy and its 2020-2024 Environmental and Social Strategy, which are guidelines that orient the ability to evaluate, measure and manage the risks and impacts of operations in member countries.
