The newly launched website of the Committee to Support the Implementation and Compliance of the Escazú Agreement provides a gateway for Escazú Agreement Member States and the public to request support to implement the Agreement and report cases of non-compliance, including through a communications platform. This initiative seeks to improve monitoring and follow-up procedures, while promoting transparency and participation among stakeholders. It facilitates the process of submitting communications, verifying their status, and reviewing previous communications in the communications repository.
The Escazú Agreement, formally known as “Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean”, was adopted in Costa Rica in 2018. The agreement has been signed by 24 countries and has 16 Parties. It is a legally binding treaty to improve environmental protection. Its main objective is to guarantee that all people can enjoy the right to a healthy environment and sustainable development, through access to information, public participation and access to justice. The Escazú Agreement was also the first treaty in the world to contain specific provisions for the protection of environmental defenders.
This new Committee website and communications platform was launched during the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 3) of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean in Santiago, Chile, in April. Complements the Principle 10 Observatory, the treaty’s clearinghouse, an online tool that provides an overview of relevant and key references on access rights applicable to countries in the region. This includes provisions and other information of interest contained in the constitutions, laws, regulations, plans, strategies and national policies of the 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean.
Add Comment