With a call to deepen unity and multilateralism in the region, 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 - known as the Escazú Agreement - began this Tuesday in Nassau, Bahamas.

This event - which is taking place for the first time in a Caribbean country and has the support of CAF-Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean - is bringing together ministers and authorities from various countries in the region, representatives of regional and international organizations, and members of the public through Friday, April 24.

It aims to follow up on the decisions of the third meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 3), held in Santiago, Chile in 2024, and make progress on other matters of the Agreement. In addition, reports by the Secretariat, the Presiding Officers, the elected representatives of the public and the Committee to Support Implementation and Compliance will be presented, along with national implementation plans and road maps, and the Parties can raise any other matters they choose.

The COP 4 was inaugurated by Óscar Caputi, Undersecretary of Environment of Uruguay, the country that is chairing the Conference of the Parties; Nicole Leotaud, an elected representative of the public from Trinidad and Tobago; Lakeisha Anderson-Rolle, Executive Director of Bahamas National Trust; José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, ECLAC's Executive Secretary (via video); and Zane Lightbourne, Minister of State for the Environment of the Bahamas.

"Although tomorrow - Mother Earth Day - will mark six years since this regional instrument entered into force, we all know that the Escazú Agreement continues to be a young treaty, not just because of its short time in effect, but also because of the dynamism, vigor and innovation that it proposes in addressing environmental matters," said Óscar Caputi, Undersecretary of Environment of Uruguay.

"The Escazú Agreement seeks to be and to strengthen an environment of international cooperation in which all of us can support and be supported. In a world where multilateralism is being questioned, where doubt is being cast on the institutional framework and rights, with this meeting we reaffirm our resolve to march together, guarantee rights and ensure that no one is left behind," the representative of the Chair of the Agreement's Presiding Officers added.

Meanwhile, elected representative of the public Nicole Leotaud indicated that as the COP 4 begins, it is necessary to pause and note the complex challenges, risks and uncertainties that our region is facing in this new geopolitical climate. "These factors are threatening the security and stability in our region, and challenge us to achieve sustainable development. Development finance has been drastically reduced, the multilateral system which has supported our voices in international spaces is at risk and world order is under threat. In the face of these challenges it is even more imperative that we recommit our strong support to implementation of the Escazú Agreement as the first environmental regional treaty for the Latin America and the Caribbean region," she emphasized.

Lakeisha Anderson-Rolle, Executive Director of Bahamas National Trust, said that hosting the COP 4 of the Escazú Agreement is not symbolic. "It is a signal that Small Island Developing States, and indeed countries across Latin America and the Caribbean, are not on the margins of environmental governance, we are shaping its future. We welcome you not only as host, but as partners in accountability, in advocacy and in action," she declared.

In his message sent by video to the meeting, ECLAC's Executive Secretary, José Manuel Salazar-Xirinachs, noted that the Escazú Agreement represents one of the most significant advances in environmental democracy in our region. "And this is not just any Conference of the Parties. It is the first to be held in the Caribbean, in an international context marked by profound transformations, growing geopolitical tensions and significant uncertainty regarding the future of multilateralism," he warned.

"The Escazú Agreement is groundbreaking as it is the world's first treaty to include specific provisions for the protection of human rights defenders working on environmental issues. It is also a cooperation agreement. An agreement where no one is left behind. An agreement where we all learn from one another," the senior United Nations official said.

The inaugural ceremony concluded with remarks by Zane Lightbourne, Minister of State for the Environment of the Bahamas, who underscored the relevance of the issues to be addressed. "In our region, where the sea both sustains us and threatens us, environmental justice is not an abstract principle, it is a matter of survival. It is therefore a distinct honor to welcome you to the Bahamas as we gather for the opening ceremony of the COP 4 of the Escazú Agreement (…). For Small Island Developing States, this Agreement is not merely a governance tool, it is a safeguard for our future," he stated.

The inauguration of the fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Escazú Agreement was preceded by the 10th Session of the Committee to Support Implementation and Compliance (CSIC), meetings of heads of delegation and of the Presiding Officers with the public, and a gathering of the Agreement's Presiding Officers (made up of Uruguay as Chair and Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Mexico and Saint Lucia as Vice-Chairs). Later in the day, there was a celebration of the new Parties to the Agreement (the Bahamas, Colombia and Trinidad and Tobago), and a high-level round table entitled "Looking ahead to COP5 - where are we heading and what are our priorities?" took place with the participation of senior authorities from the Bahamas, Dominica, Saint Lucia and Saint Kitts and Nevis, among others.

On Wednesday, April 22, a special session is due to be held to commemorate International Mother Earth Day, in which, in line with the international call to action, participants will seek to highlight how the Escazú Agreement and access rights contribute to environmental sustainability in the region. This session will feature the participation of authorities from the region; Justice Winston Anderson, President of the Caribbean Court of Justice; and members of Caribbean civil society.

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). Two reports will be presented: a report on Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers and then a report on Public participation in decision-making processes concerning projects and activities that have or may have a significant impact on the environment - both of which were prepared by the Secretariat at the request of the COP in decision III/1. On Thursday afternoon, the Guide to Mainstreaming a Gender Perspective in the Implementation of the Escazú Agreement will be presented, which was prepared by the Secretariat in accordance with decision III/4. Finally, a session on access to justice in environmental matters will be held in which participants will address the opportunities and challenges for implementing Article 8 of the Agreement. These reflections will contribute to discussion of the draft decision on access to justice in environmental matters.

Finally, 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. The meeting will continue with a special session on cooperation and delegates will resume discussion of pending organizational aspects regarding the election of the Presiding Officers and any other matters the Parties wish to consider. To conclude the meeting, the agreed decisions will be read and the closing ceremony of the Conference will take place.

In addition, 36 official side events will be held virtually from April 20 to 24.

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.