Ecobreves – MEXICO: Environmental Observatory by Year's End

By IPS Correspondents and - - Reprint | | Print |

MEXICO CITY, Oct 27 2007 (IPS) - Lawyers hired by non-governmental organizations will begin in December to keep a close eye on Mexico's environmental authorities to stop any irregular activity. “The monitoring will be done, if necessary, in the hallways of the government offices. It will be close tracking and without concessions,” Alberto Székely, from the private lawyers environmental group Defensoría Ambiental, told Tierramérica.

The Citizen Observatory for Environmental Monitoring is an initiative of more than 50 independent organizations, including Greenpeace and the International Fund for the Protection of Animals and Habitat.

Székely explained that the sponsors of the Observatory, which will operate with an annual budget of 25,000 dollars, expect the full support of Mexico's Environment Ministry. “We will keep strict monitoring, which will be independent and professional,” he said.