Escazú Agreement Can Help Bring About a Shift Towards a More Sustainable Economy that is in Harmony with Nature

In the framework of the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the agreement (COP 4), a special session was held to commemorate International Mother Earth Day.

Every year since 2009, the United Nations has commemorated April 22 as International Mother Earth Day. This Day recognizes that the Earth and its ecosystems constitute the common home of humanity, as well as the need to protect it to improve people's living conditions, counteract climate change and halt the collapse of biodiversity.

In the framework of 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) - which is taking place in Nassau, Bahamas - a special session was held to reflect on how the implementation of the Escazú Agreement can help bring about a shift towards a more sustainable economy that is in harmony with nature.

The session was moderated by Jerusa Ali, Director General of the Department of Foreign Affairs in the Bahamas, and featured the participation of Winston Anderson, President of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ); Gomin Camacho, CEO of the Ethnic Relations Commission of Guyana; Mariana Boy Tamborrell, Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection of Mexico; and Watatakalu Yawalapiti, coordinator of ATIX Mulher and co-founder of the National Network of Indigenous Ancestral Warrior Women (ANMIGA) of Brazil.

According to the participants, Mother Earth is calling on us to act. Climate change, human-induced alterations to nature, and crimes against biodiversity - such as deforestation or the growing illegal trade in wildlife - are accelerating the pace of the planet's destruction. The oceans are filled with plastic and are becoming more acidic. Extreme heat, forest fires, floods and other climate events are affecting millions of people around the world.

That is why on this International Mother Earth Day, we are reminded that we need a shift towards a more sustainable economy that works for both people and the planet. The access rights set out in the Agreement are a step in the right direction. They are essential for eradicating poverty, reducing inequalities and protecting the planet. They are also fundamental for strengthening transparent and participatory democracies in which people participate meaningfully in decisions that affect their lives and their environment.

"The environmental rule of law requires implementation of sound, substantive and procedural environmental frameworks… The procedural guarantees in the Escazú Agreement are not abstract or merely legal commitments. They operate as economic markers and enablers by shifting action to information, public participation and access to justice from theory to practice," indicated the President of the Caribbean Court of Justice, Winston Anderson.

"Today we do not only celebrate our planet, we affirm our shared responsibilities to protect it. We are living at a decisive moment, the climate crisis, biodiversity loss and pollution are not distant threats, but the realities impacting our communities, our economies and our future. This is even more evident in the Caribbean where rising sea levels, extreme weather conditions and ecosystem degradation directly affect the daily lives of millions of people. And this is especially relevant in these Small Island Developing States," Gomin Camacho, CEO of the Ethnic Relations Commission of Guyana, emphasized.

"It is no coincidence that we are here today, precisely on April 22, International Mother Earth Day - a date that resonates in our region with the motto "Our Power, Our Planet," and calls for active participation, co-responsibility and collective empowerment to build the future of our planet. With the Escazú Agreement, we not only signed a legal treaty, but a commitment to environmental democracy and a declaration that no development can be sustainable if it is built on the silence of communities, the fear of defenders, or the opaqueness of information. Today, with 19 States Parties, the Agreement is a living tool for profound transformation," said Mariana Boy Tamborrell, Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection of Mexico.

Meanwhile, Brazilian indigenous leader Watatakalu Yawalapiti stressed that climate justice is not a concept - it is a matter of survival. "We have demonstrated that climate justice cannot be talked about without talking about indigenous women. There can be no climate solution without listening to those who have been protecting the territories for millennia. And there can be no environmental democracy without our participation. That is why the Escazú Agreement is so important," she declared.

The COP 4 of the Escazú Agreement will continue with the presentation of reports by the Presiding Officers, the Secretariat, the Committee to Support Implementation and Compliance, and by the elected representatives of the public.

On Thursday, April 23, follow-up will be provided on decisions III/1 and III/4 approved at the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 3), while on Friday, April 24, participants will address the follow-up of decision III/2 on progress and next steps regarding the Action Plan on Human Rights Defenders in Environmental Matters. To conclude the meeting, the agreed decisions will be read and the Conference's closing ceremony will be held.

The number of people registered to participate in the meeting is 472, 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 25 people from the Committee to Support Implementation and Compliance (CSIC) and invited experts.

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