{"id":109466,"date":"2024-04-25T22:45:54","date_gmt":"2024-04-25T20:45:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/efecomunica.efe.com\/?p=109466"},"modified":"2024-04-25T22:58:16","modified_gmt":"2024-04-25T20:58:16","slug":"escazu-agreement-cop3-in-santiago-approves-plan-to-protect-environmental-defenders","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/efecomunica.efe.com\/en\/escazu-agreement-cop3-in-santiago-approves-plan-to-protect-environmental-defenders\/","title":{"rendered":"Escaz\u00fa Agreement COP3 in Santiago approves plan to protect environmental defenders"},"content":{"rendered":"

Santiago, April 25 (EFE).- The Third Conference of the Parties (COP3) to the Escaz\u00fa Agreement<\/strong>, the first environmental treaty in Latin America and unique globally for its provisions to protect the lives of environmental defenders<\/strong>, has approved a plan to promote and secure the safety of these activists.<\/p>\n

“For our country, it is essential to ensure a safe and favorable environment for those who promote and defend the environment<\/strong>, to guarantee their rights, and to have responsive measures… This is undoubtedly the main milestone of this COP,\u201d Chilean Undersecretary for the Environment, Maximiliano Proa\u00f1o,<\/strong> said Wednesday upon the plan\u2019s approval in the Chilean capital.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The plan marks a significant step forward in implementing measures based on Article No. 9 of the Escaz\u00fa Agreement<\/strong>, which specifically addresses the protection of individuals, groups, and organizations that promote and defend human rights in environmental matters<\/strong> in the deadliest region for this type of activism.<\/p>\n

SIX-MONTH DEADLINE\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

As explained by experts and participants at the COP3 to EFE following the meeting at the headquarters in Santiago of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC)<\/strong>, the leadership was given a six-month deadline<\/strong> to draft an implementation plan, assigning responsibilities and urging each state to adapt the agreement’s provisions to their specific territorial realities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is an important step… In Argentina, unfortunately, there are many environmental conflicts<\/strong> generally related to extractivism, occurring with fossil fuels<\/strong> in our Patagonia as well as with critical minerals needed for the transition, like lithium borate<\/strong>,\u201d said Cristian Fern\u00e1ndez, a lawyer for the Environment and Natural Resources Foundation<\/strong> (FARN) and professor at the University of Buenos Aires.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

He noted that projects are systematically advanced without analyzing cumulative impacts and without consulting communities<\/strong>, hence the critical need for the implementation of Article 9 in these territories, and the approval of the Action Plan provides a safeguard for this.<\/p>\n

\"People <\/a>
People of various nationalities participate in the Third Conference of the Parties (COP3) to the Escaz\u00fa Agreement on April 24 in Santiago, Chile. EFE\/ Elvis Gonz\u00e1lez <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>
\"The <\/a>
The president of the Conference of the Parties, Marcelo Cousillas, participates in the Third Conference of the Parties (COP3) to the Escaz\u00fa Agreement, on April 24 in Santiago, Chile. EFE\/ Elvis Gonz\u00e1lez <\/div> <\/div>
\"People <\/a>
People of various nationalities participate in the Third Conference of the Parties (COP3) to the Escaz\u00fa Agreement on April 24 in Santiago, Chile. EFE\/ Elvis Gonz\u00e1lez <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div> <\/div>\n

INDIGENOUS ACCESS ISSUES\u00a0<\/b><\/h2>\n

While overall outcomes are positive, some issues remain. For Elaine Sab\u00edan Shawit, a member of the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River Basin (COICA)<\/strong> and Awaj\u00fan representative, access to information is still a hurdle in Peru, where the treaty has not been ratified.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s not about counting how many are dead, but about implementing the agreement and how we, as indigenous peoples, protect ourselves in our territory<\/strong>, because paper tolerates everything, but we are killed with bullets. We call on all countries that have ratified it to also implement and protect territorial defenders,\u201d she said.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Recognized globally as an unprecedented treaty that strengthens environmental democracy, the Escaz\u00fa Agreement was adopted in March 2018<\/strong> in Costa Rica and has been effective since April 2021. However, only 15 of the 24 Latin American and Caribbean countries that initially signed have ratified it, out of a total of 33 in the region.<\/p>\n

Although Latin America contributes just 9% to global emissions<\/strong>, it is among the regions most vulnerable to the impacts of the climate crisis. It is also the world’s most dangerous area for environmental defenders, with the highest impunity levels. The year 2020 was the deadliest on record for environmentalists, with three-quarters of the attacks occurring in the region, according to the latest report by NGO Global Witness, with Colombia and Mexico leading in the statistics. EFE<\/p>\n

This report on forestry and land use is partly supported by the Climate and Land Use Alliance. EFE maintains full editorial independence and is solely responsible for the content.<\/p>\n