Bolivia

Constitution of Bolivia (Spanish: Constitución Política del Estado)

Legislative

Constitution

Passed in 2009

The Constitution of Bolivia was adopted in 2009. This Constitution was drafted in accordance with the then President, Evo Morales', political campaign promise to convene a new constituent assembly. In 2007, the assembly established the year before had prepared a draft of the current Constitution. Following the Constitutional Referendum of 2009, through which 61.43% out of over 3.5 million voters approved the project, the Constitution of Bolivia came into effect. The Constitution establishes that Bolivia is composed as a Unitary Social State of Pluri-National Communitarian Law (Estado Unitario Social de Derecho Plurinacional Comunitario) that is free, independent, sovereign, democratic, inter-cultural, decentralized and with autonomies.

In the Constitution’s preamble, there is a reference to the “strength of Pachamama”, Mother Nature. Moreover, it includes in its main text a provision specific to climate change. Article 407 of the Constitution states that rural development policy objectives include protecting agricultural and agro-industrial production from climate-related risks, as follows:
“Article 407. The objectives of the policy of the State for comprehensive rural development, in coordination with the autonomous and decentralized territorial entities, are the following: […] 4.To protect agricultural and agro-industrial production from natural disasters and inclement climate, and geological catastrophes. The law shall provide for the creation of agricultural insurance. […]”.

Documents

Full text document (English)