SUSWATCH is a network of more than 94 civil society organizations in Latin America, and it was established in 2003. Members of SUSWATCH work within the areas of environment, climate change and gender.
SUSWATCH has been a Southern Voices partner since June 2011.
SUSWATCH’s work on climate change
SUSWATCH has been following the international negotiations related to climate change since COP 14. It has also followed the process of the Millennium Development Goals, and currently the definition of the Post 2015 Agenda.
The work of the network has made it possible to influence different policies at the national, regional (mainly Central America) and international level.
Advocacy and Joint Principles for Adaptation
As SUSWATCH works at different levels, there is no one specific policy target. At the international level, its work is focusing on the UNFCCC, mostly following adaptation and loss & damage which are important aspects for the Latin American region.
At the regional level, the aim is to influence the different policies of the Central American Integration System (SICA) and its different bodies, related to environment and development; and at the national level, every focal point chooses its own priority topic or policy to work with.
SUSWATCH performs the regional facilitation of the SVA initiative; therefore, its efforts are focusing on accompanying the work of the national networks, as well as on promoting the PCA in Latin America as a tool to enhance the national frameworks related to climate change.
Key achievements from advocacy work
In Latin America, SUSWATCH is recognized as one of the few networks of the region that follows and influences the international processes related to climate change and sustainable development.
At the regional level, SUSWATCH has been seeking to strengthen alliances of civil society organizations working within climate change, environment, risk management and sustainable energy. This has allowed views from civil society organization to reach regional policies, such as the Framework law on climate change and the regional strategy on climate and environment.
At the national level, for example in Nicaragua, SUSWATCH has been promoting the development of a general law on climate change.