{"id":50364765,"date":"2023-04-05T16:13:34","date_gmt":"2023-04-05T15:13:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dialogochino.net\/?p=64765"},"modified":"2023-06-08T13:37:49","modified_gmt":"2023-06-08T12:37:49","slug":"364765-escazu-at-2-the-key-challenges-for-the-landmark-environmental-treaty","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/justice\/364765-escazu-at-2-the-key-challenges-for-the-landmark-environmental-treaty\/","title":{"rendered":"Escaz\u00fa at 2: Major challenges for landmark environmental treaty"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the first regional agreement dedicated to the protection of people who defend the environment and human rights, the Escaz\u00fa Agreement<\/a> was a milestone in Latin America and the Caribbean when it arrived in 2018.<\/p>\n

Approved that year by the UN\u2019s Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the agreement officially entered into force<\/a> two years ago. However, its implementation, as well as the active participation of countries and citizens in its processes, is still a work in progress.<\/p>\n

The Escaz\u00fa Agreement is open to all 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, of which 25 have signed up, but only 15 have since ratified.<\/p>\n

Even after ratification, nothing yet ensures compliance. For example, a recently granted mining concession in Panama, one of the agreement\u2019s earliest signatories and which ratified in March 2020, was reported to have ignored<\/a> the public consultation guidelines established under its terms, with citizens not informed prior to the project\u2019s approval.<\/p>\n

Against this backdrop of delays and inconsistencies, which have caused uncertainty among observers and local populations, the Escaz\u00fa Agreement\u2019s second Conference of the Parties (COP) is set to take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina on 19\u201321 April. Some remain hopeful of progress at the meeting, but what challenges does the agreement face, and what will need to happen for it to become truly effective?<\/p>\n

Some slow progress<\/h2>\n

Since entering into force in April 2021 after reaching 12 ratifications, the Escaz\u00fa Agreement has aimed to guarantee access to information, public participation and justice in environmental matters. However, since then, only three additional countries have ratified the pact: Chile, Belize<\/a> and Grenada.<\/p>\n