St John’s – Authorities and experts attending the high-level virtual Second Meeting of the Signatory Countries to the Escazú Agreement here, have underscored the importance of guaranteeing human rights in Latin America and the Caribbean.
According to the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), delegates have also highlighted the significance of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, known as the Escazú Agreement.
ECLAC said the final day of the virtual, two-day meeting, held under the auspices of the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, was commemorated on International Human Rights Day on Thursday.
The event, entitled “The virtuous circle between the environment, human rights and the Escazú Agreement” was moderated by Carole Excell, of The Access Initiative (TAI), and featured a live panel made up exclusively of prominent women in the regional and international political and social arena.
They included Epsy Campbell, Vice President of Costa Rica; Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); Mary Robinson, the first woman President of Ireland, former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, and chair of The Elders; Martha Delgado, Vice-Minister for Multilateral Affairs and Human Rights at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico; Nicky Black, Director of the Social and Economic Development Program of the International Council on Mining and Metals (ICMM); Nafesha Richardson, Youth Champion of Escazú from St Vincent and the Grenadines; and Alicia Bárcena, ECLAC’s Executive Secretary.
Campbell, indicated that the Escazú Agreement is “an example for the entire world since it shows that Latin America and the Caribbean has given exceptional importance to defending the human rights of environmental activists, since it puts us in a position to guarantee a legal framework for their protection.
“In Latin America, we have suffered tremendous attacks on environmental defenders, including indigenous people, rural leaders, activists from environmental organizations, leaders of Afro-descendent organizations, which, in some cases, have ended in death,” she said. “Having a legal tool that protects them indicates that our region is not only committed to the environment but also protects environmental activists’ lives and rights. This is a fundamental step forward.”
Bachelet emphasized that the Escazú Agreement is “the first of its kind in the world, since it not only protects human rights but also guarantees that all people have the right to a healthy environment, to participate, and to access information and justice in environmental matters.”
The high-ranking UN official said that the region is “one of the most dangerous on earth for environmental defenders.”
She said that in 2019, 212 homicides of human rights defenders were recorded, with two-thirds of these cases occurring in Latin America and the Caribbean.
“The Escazú Agreement comes at a very opportune time, because we can make a real commitment to change,” Bachelet said. “It provides a cornerstone for environmental democracy, international cooperation and multilateralism and that must be at the center of efforts to build back better using a human rights-based approach.”
Robinson expressed satisfaction with the agreement and her concern over the loosening of environmental protection measures effected by many countries due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’m excited by the Escazú Agreement from the beginning because it is very relevant for Latin America and the Caribbean, given that this is the region where more environmental defenders are killed,” she said. “The agreement can help us move towards a sustainable recovery.”
Delgado stressed the importance of recognising that there is “a huge challenge in Latin America and the Caribbean for achieving environmental justice, access to information and civic participation in public policies on environmental matters.
“This agreement is a suitable vehicle for establishing important instruments, strengthening democracy, citizen participation and environmental justice, and in an intersectional way in all communities,” she said. “Civil society participation is very important. The Escazú Agreement has become a reference point for cooperation. The challenge now will be its implementation.”
Meanwhile, Black said that “responsible companies recognize that critical voices and human rights defenders help to create long-term values.
“Demonstrating accountability and transparency is critical for ensuring successful and meaningful interactions with local communities,” she said. “In this area, efficient legal mechanisms play a key role: they help defuse potential problems, they build and maintain trust with local communities, and they offer solutions when issues arise.”
Richardson stressed the importance of young people’s participation in both the ratification of the Escazú Agreement, as well as its future implementation.
“Access to information is the biggest problem we have in Latin America and the Caribbean,” she said. “It’s very important for people to be able to access reliable information. We must work so that the agreement is not only ratified but also applied.”
Bárcena said was the last meeting of the signatory countries to the Escazú Agreement “since numerous countries have already ratified it, and it should, therefore, enter into force soon, which means that we are on the brink of convening the first Conference of the Parties to the treaty”.
“The Escazú Agreement is the reflection of a hopeful gateway to the future,” she said. “It is the first environmental accord negotiated by Latin American and Caribbean people. It is an agreement negotiated by us, for us, and it has been forged with our future generations in mind,” she emphasized.
“With this agreement, we are fighting against the culture of privilege, the culture of those who possess the information, who monopolize justice, those who are unwilling for there to be true participation or prior informed consent,” Bárcena added. “We are democratising the right to information, participation and justice.
“The Escazú Agreement is an essential instrument to avoid mortgaging the future, and to address the legitimate demands of many communities,” she continued.
ECLAC’s Executive Secretary said that the agreement is “a message that our region is sending out,” stating that the future matters, that future generations count and that “we don’t want anything to be done about us, without us”.
Furthermore, Bárcena said that the COVID-19 pandemic should not lead to neglect of the environment or human rights. (CMC)
