The Inter-American Strategy for the Promotion of Public Participation in Decision-making for Sustainable Development (ISP). Its Principles Proactivity; Inclusiveness; Shared Responsibility; Openness throughout the process; Access; Transparency; and Respect for Public input.

1. Symposium on Improving Public
Participation and Governance in IWM
UVA School of Law, April 18-19, 2003
Multi-stakeholder Involvement and IWRM in
Transboundary River Basins:
GEF/UNEP/OAS Experiences with
the Strategic Action Program for the
San Juan River Basin
Costa Rica and Nicaragua

2. The Inter-American Strategy for the Promotion of
Public Participation in Decision-making for
Sustainable Development (ISP)
The ISP
Its Principles
Proactivity; Inclusiveness; Shared Responsibility; Openness
throughout the process; Access; Transparency; and Respect for
Public input
Recommendations for Action
 Information and Communication
 Legal Frameworks
 Institutional Procedures and Structures
 Education and Training
 Funding for Participation
 Opportunities and Mechanisms for Public Participation

3. GEF/UNEP/OAS Experiences in IWRM in
Transboundary River Basins
GEF/UNEP/OAS Experiences
The Bermejo River Basin (Argentina and Bolivia)
 The Binational Commission
 The Argentine Provinces
 The Pilot Projects
The Sao Francisco River Basin (Brazilian States
and the Federal District)
 The River Basin Committee of the Sao Francisco River Basin
 The case of EMBRAPA

4. The Formulation of a SAP for the San Juan River
Basin and its Coastal Zone (Costa Rica and
Nicaragua)
Ensuring Multi-stakeholder Involvement from the Earliest
Stages of Project Formulation: The Transboundary
Diagnostic Analysis (TDA)
 The Causal-chain
 The Demonstration Projects and
Basic Studies
 The impasse
The TDA

5. The Formulation of a SAP for the San Juan River
Basin and its Coastal Zone (Costa Rica and
Nicaragua)
Ensuring Social Acceptability of the Proposed Measures: The
Strategic Action Program (SAP)
 The Demonstration Projects and Basic Studies
 The Public Participation Workshops
 Bulletins, Web site, Festivals,
Contests, and others
The SAP
Gender, Inequities and IWRM
 Mainstreaming gender
 Increasing the likelihood of success

6. The Formulation of a SAP for the San Juan River
Basin and its Coastal Zone (Costa Rica and
Nicaragua)
The Strategic Action Program (SAP): A process for engaging
all the stakeholders
 Building ownership and empowering local stakeholders
 Building Strategic Alliances
accross the border
The SAP (continues..)

7. Opportunities and Pitfalls
 GEF-IW Projects: Implementing the ISP Policy Framework
 The Incremental Nature of GEF-IW Projects
 The Gaps in the Process: A potential setback
 Varying Levels of Organization: A key factor
 Gender-oriented Programs: Improving effectiveness
Conclusions