COP 4 of the Escazú Agreement approves key decisions for accelerating the Treaty’s implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean

The fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 4) to the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Escazú Agreement) ended today in Nassau, Bahamas, with the approval of 10 key decisions for accelerating the agreement’s implementation in the region, in the lead-up to the COP 5 of Latin America and the Caribbean’s first environmental treaty.

Among the more important decisions approved was the creation of working groups on pollutant release and transfer registers in the region, and on access to environmental justice. Also approved were methodological guidelines for preparing road maps for the agreement’s implementation in the States Parties, which are key tools for identifying gaps in countries, defining concrete actions and establishing priorities through transparent, collaborative processes with meaningful public participation.

In addition, the delegates approved the new composition of the agreement’s Presiding Officers, which is now made up of Saint Kitts and Nevis as Chair and the Bahamas, Belize, Colombia and Panama as Vice-Chairs. In addition, they set a date for the next meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 5), which is April 20-22, 2028, in a place yet to be determined.

In another of the resolutions adopted, the delegates agreed to extend by one year the mandate of the Committee to Support Implementation and Compliance (CSIC) of the Escazú Agreement, so as to coincide with the holding of the next two Conferences of the Parties (in 2028 and 2030, respectively).

On the last day of the COP 4 of the Escazú Agreement, a session was held to discuss progress and next steps regarding the Action Plan on Human Rights Defenders in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean and, more specifically, the preparation of a regional assessment. A roundtable discussion entitled “What can the United Nations system do to support the Escazú Agreement in the region?” also took place, with representatives of various UN agencies and programs present in the region reflecting on how the United Nations system can contribute to moving towards the Agreement’s full and effective implementation.

In this regard, the delegates also approved a decision in which the Parties are invited to promote synergies and partnerships between the Escazú Agreement and other relevant multilateral forums and agreements related to environmental matters, and which entrusts the Secretariat – held by ECLAC – with strengthening cooperation and exchanges with other agencies, funds and programs of the United Nations system and secretariats of relevant multilateral environmental agreements, with a view to supporting the Parties and the bodies of the Agreement in building their capacities and making progress on the implementation of the access rights contained therein.

At the closing ceremony, the Director of the Department of Environmental Planning and Protection of the Bahamas, Rhianna Neely-Murphy, expressed her appreciation for the depth of dialogue, the spirit of collaboration and the shared commitment demonstrated by all those present. “Over the past few days we have not only exchanged ideas but also strengthened our collective resolve to advance the principles of the Escazú Agreement. Transparency, access to information, public participation and environmental justice are not just abstract ideals. They are essential pillars for sustainable development and resilient societies, particularly for small island states like ours in the Bahamas,” she indicated.

“Today we elected representatives of the public renew our commitment to our role and will continue expanding and deepening the work with the public throughout the region, supporting their voices and their meaningful commitment. We will make concrete suggestions about how this mechanism can be strengthened,” said Irene Murillo, an elected representative of the public.

Meanwhile, speaking on behalf of the Secretariat of the Escazú Agreement, the Director of ECLAC’s Sustainable Development and Human Settlements Division, Carlos de Miguel, sent a message to the region’s countries that are not yet States Parties: “We need to reach all 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, since we will get further if we move forward all together.”

“It is important to continue implementing the Escazú Agreement and to move ahead. Data, information are fundamental as an element of environmental justice. The joint construction of methodologies based on territories is characteristic of Escazú. We at the Secretariat are at your disposal to keep working,” De Miguel added.

Meanwhile, the representative of Saint Kitts and Nevis and incoming Chair of the agreement’s Presiding Officers, Derionne Edmeade, said that his country is actively aware of the interconnected challenges being faced. “From climate change to biodiversity loss, from environmental degradation to social vulnerability. It is precisely these realities that strengthen our resolve that the principles of access to information, participation and access to justice are not only upheld, but are meaningful for the lives of all,” he stressed.

Finally, the outgoing Chair of the agreement’s Presiding Officers, Marcelo Cousillas, thanked the countries, participating organizations, representatives of the public and the Secretariat for all their collaboration in forging the agreement. He recalled that this is the last meeting for the first Presiding Officers of the Escazú Agreement, “which had an extensive, four-year term, with a great deal of work but in a very pleasant environment. Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Mexico, Saint Lucia and Uruguay were an indispensable part of this. We achieved consensuses that seemed very difficult, with a great deal of flexibility and good will. I hope the new Presiding Officers will have the same possibilities,” he expressed.

The meeting held in the Bahamas was attended by ministers and government authorities from numerous countries in the region, along with representatives of regional and international organizations and members of the public. In total, 472 people registered to participate, including delegations from 17 States Parties, four signatory States, three delegations from the Agreement’s observer countries, 295 members of the public, 23 representatives of the United Nations system and intergovernmental organizations, and the members of the Committee to Support Implementation and Compliance (CSIC) and invited experts.

The Escazú Agreement has been signed by 24 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and has 19 States Parties to date: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, the Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Dominica, Ecuador, Grenada, Guyana, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, and Uruguay.

The Agreement was adopted in Escazú, Costa Rica on March 4, 2018 and entered into force on April 22, 2021. It is open to ratification, acceptance, approval or accession by the 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. 

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This news was first published by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)