Edison Broce
{{Short description|Panamanian politician, lawyer, and environmental advocate (born 1990)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2024}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Edison Broce
| party = Independent Politician
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1990|11|1|df=y}}
| education = Blavatnik School of Government
(Master of Public Policy)
Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua
(Master in Procedural Law)
| office = Parliamentarian of the National Assembly (Panama)
| birth_place = Panama City (Panama)
| image = Edison_Broce_Diputado_-_Asamblea_Nacional_-_Retrato.jpg
| alma_mater = Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua
(Law Degree)
| constituency = Don Bosco, Juan Díaz, Parque Lefevre, Río Abajo, San Francisco
| website = [https://www.edisonbroce.com/ edisonbroce.com]
| termstart = July 1, 2019
| occupation = Lawyer, environmentalist, politician
| alongside = Yaidelis González
| election_date = 5 May 2019
| term = 2019-2024
}}
Edison Augusto Broce Urriola (born 1 November 1990) is a Panamanian independent politician, lawyer, and environmental advocate serving as a member of parliament in the National Assembly of Panama for the 2019-2024 legislative term.
He is one of the youngest Panamanian lawmakers and is widely known for his environmental policies and raising awareness about plastic pollution.{{Cite web|title=ENVIRONMENT: Bill aims to reduce single use plasics|url=https://menafn.com/1099132560/ENVIRONMENT-Bill-aims-to-reduce-single-use-plasics|last=MENAFN|website=menafn.com|access-date=2020-05-20}}{{Cite web|title=Legislation on recycling in Panama's public sector passed|url=https://www.bsg.ox.ac.uk/news/legislation-recycling-panamas-public-sector-passed|website=www.bsg.ox.ac.uk|date=19 February 2018 |language=en|access-date=2020-05-20}} Since July 1, 2020, he is the Head of the Independent Caucus of the National Assembly of Panama.{{Cite web|title=En la Asamblea se inicia nuevo periodo, anuncian a jefes de bancadas y Cenobia Vargas se estrena|url=https://www.prensa.com/politica/asamblea-inicia-nuevo-periodo-de-sesiones-ordinarias-anuncian-a-jefes-de-bancadas/|date=2020-07-02|website=www.prensa.com|language=es-ES|access-date=2021-06-25}}
Education
He began his law studies at the University of Panama and graduated cum laude from Universidad Católica Santa María La Antigua, where he also obtained a master's degree in procedural law, completing his thesis in Environmental Law graduating summa cum laude.{{Cite web|last=|first=|authorlink=Ivonne Carrasquilla|date=15 March 2018|title=Edison Broce dicta conferencia sobre el medio ambiente|url=http://info.usma.ac.pa/edison-broce-conferencia-medio-ambiente/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923125757/http://info.usma.ac.pa/edison-broce-conferencia-medio-ambiente/ |archive-date=2020-09-23 |access-date=|website=Haciendo Universidad Digital}}
He founded the university's first environmental group{{Cite web|title=One Young World Politician of the Year Award: shortlist announced {{!}} One Young World|url=https://www.oneyoungworld.com/news-item/oyw-politician-year-award-shortlist|access-date=2020-07-09|website=www.oneyoungworld.com}} and was on the team that won the Panamanian national round of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition in 2013.{{cite web|url=https://www.ilsa.org/Jessup/Jessup13/2013PhilipCJessupIntlLMoo.2-27.pdf|title=Alfurna vs. The State of Rutasia|website=ilsa.org|access-date=27 January 2024}} In 2015, he was awarded the Chevening Scholarship to pursue a master's degree in public policy at University of Oxford.{{Cite web|title=MPP Class of 2015|url=https://www.bsg.ox.ac.uk/mpp-class-2015|website=www.bsg.ox.ac.uk|language=en|access-date=2020-05-17}}{{Cite web|title=Nine Panamanian students receive the prestigious Chevening Scholarship to pursue Masters Degree in the United Kingdom|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nine-panamanian-students-receive-the-prestigious-chevening-scholarship-to-pursue-masters-degree-in-the-united-kingdom|website=GOV.UK|language=en|access-date=2020-05-20}}{{Cite web|title=Embajada Británica junto al IFARHU entregan certificaciones a becados de Chevening|url=https://www.ifarhu.gob.pa/embajada-britanica-junto-al-ifarhu-entregan-certificaciones-a-becados-de-chevening/|date=2015-08-19|website=IFARHU|language=es-ES|access-date=2020-05-20}}
In 2017 he was recognized by the Junior Chamber International in their field "Political, Legal and/or Governmental Affairs".{{Cite web|title=JCI|url=https://jci.cc/en/project_gallery/8868|access-date=2020-07-09|website=jci.cc}}{{Cite web|title=HDS Edison Broce es condecorado como Joven Sobresaliente {{!}} Asamblea Nacional de Panamá|url=https://asamblea.gob.pa/noticias/hds-edison-broce-es-condecorado-como-joven-sobresaliente|access-date=2020-07-09|website=asamblea.gob.pa}} He also served as the first president in U.S. Embassy Youth Advisory Council, where he founded Eco Exito, a community based recycling project, which grew into an independent non-governmental organization.{{Cite web|title=Panama: Youth Leadership and Environmental Advocacy - Edison Broce Urriola|url=https://2009-2017.state.gov/p/wha/rt/soa/2015/stories/239855.htm|access-date=2020-07-09|website=U.S. Department of State}}
Broce is a member of the International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief. Within this network, he has participated in parliamentary duties nationally and internationally.{{Cite web|title=Global UGRAD in Parliament: Edison Broce – The Global Gazette|url=http://blog.worldlearning.org/global-gazette/2017/11/14/global-ugrad-in-parliament/|access-date=2020-07-09|language=en-US}}
Political career
From 2014 to 2019, he served in the National Assembly of Panama as an alternate member.{{Cite web|title=Buscarán ganar sin apoyo de su partido|url=http://elsiglo.com.pa/panama/buscaran-ganar-apoyo-partido/24069694
|date=2020-07-02|website=www.elsiglo.com.pa|language=es-ES|access-date=2021-06-25}} In the general elections of Panama in 2019, he was elected as a deputy before the National Assembly by circuit 8-8. Together with his independent colleagues elected in 2019, he renounced the privileges enjoyed by parliamentarians, such as exemption from import tax of cars, use of public funds, postal and telephone franchise, donations, items, appointments, or any structure or opaque management of public affairs. They also formed the first independent caucus in the history of the Republic of Panama.
Legislative work
The pillars of his agenda have been education, environment and well-being. His initiatives include the first recycling law of the Republic of Panama, for whose work in 2020 British Vogue recognized him as a notable leader,{{Cite web|url=https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/gallery/youngest-world-leaders|title = 8 Remarkable Young Leaders Around the World Inspiring Us Right Now|date = 25 April 2020}} and the Law 187 of December 2, 2020 "that regulates the reduction and progressive replacement of single-use plastics."{{Cite web|url=https://www.telemetro.com/nacionales/2020/12/03/presidente-cortizo-sanciona-ley-regula-plasticos-de-un-solo/3516271.html|title=Cortizo sanciona Ley que reemplaza progresivamente utilización del plástico de un solo uso en Panamá|date=3 December 2020 }}
He was the proponent of Law 32 of March 17, 2020, on reducing the use of paper in public administration; a rule of common sense, which with simple measures aims to control the massive consumption of sheets of paper by the State, to train public servants in good environmental practices and to include sanctions in the internal regulations of government entities for those who fail to comply with the provisions of the law.{{Cite web|url=https://www.prensa.com/impresa/economia/ley-de-incentivos-ambientales/|title = Ley de incentivos ambientales | la Prensa Panamá|date = 13 June 2021}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.ecotvpanama.com/actualidad/aprueban-norma-que-reduce-el-uso-de-papel-en-las-oficinas_0_46972|title = Aprueban norma que reduce el uso de papel en las oficinas| date=30 January 2020 }} In addition, in 2022 he achieved the approval of Law 295 of April 25, 2022, on electric mobility in the Republic of Panama.{{Cite web|url=https://www.laestrella.com.pa/panama/nacional/panama-aprueba-ley-incentiva-movilidad-electrica-transporte-terrestre-NLLE469105|title=Panamá aprueba ley que incentiva la movilidad eléctrica en el transporte terrestre|website=www.laestrella.com.pa|accessdate=27 January 2024}}
He was the proponent of Law 223 of June 8, 2021, on Environmental Incentives in the Republic of Panama, by which tax exemptions and incentives were established as of the year 2022 to promote sustainable business practices, the reconversion of companies, and the development of the recycling industry in Panama.{{Cite web|url=https://www.telemetro.com/entrevistas/nacionales/diputado-broce-explica-ley-reciclaje-industrial-n5240432|title=Diputado Broce explica ley sobre reciclaje industrial|date=15 June 2021 }}
In 2019, he asked the floor of the National Assembly of Panama to create an Investigation Commission on deforestation in the province of Darién, in which more than 21 thousand hectares of forests have been deforested in the last seven years.{{Cite web|url=https://www.prensa.com/sociedad/Asamblea-comision-investigar-masiva-Darien_0_5382211753.html|title = Asamblea crea comisión para investigar la tala masiva en Darién | la Prensa Panamá|date = 27 August 2019}} After the creation of the commission was approved, he was elected President of the commission and held numerous sessions and hearings with high-ranked public servants, such as the Minister of the Environment and the administrator of the National Land Administration Authority. However, the field investigations phase has had to be suspended due to the setbacks generated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
He is currently the President of the Education, Culture, Science, Technology and Communication Commission of the Latin American and Caribbean Parliament (PARLATINO).