New Toolkit for Parliamentarians on the Escazú Agreement: Promoting Human Rights in Environmental Matters

Parliamentarians for Global Action is delighted to announce the launch of the Toolkit for Parliamentarians on the Escazú Agreement: Promoting Human Rights in Environmental Matters.

The Toolkit provides parliamentarians with the knowledge, tools, and resources needed to effectively enhance climate governance and environmental rights throughout Latin America and the Caribbean using the Escazú Agreement as a foundation for action.

Publication

Promoting Human Rights in Environmental Matters

A toolkit on the Escazú Agreement designed to equip legislators with resources to advance climate governance and environmental democracy in Latin America and the Carribbean.

Description

The Escazú Agreement is a groundbreaking framework for environmental governance in Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighting the intrinsic link between environmental protection and human rights. By ensuring the core principles of environmental democracy – the three rights of access to environmental information, public participation, and environmental justice – the Agreement empowers communities to assert their right to a healthy environment.

In this context, this Toolkit for Parliamentarians on the Escazú Agreement is designed to equip legislators with the necessary tools and resources to effectively advance climate governance and environmental democracy in the region. This Toolkit emphasizes the crucial role of parliamentarians in promoting accountability for environmental harm, safeguarding environmental defenders, and enhancing public engagement in environmental decision-making.

Ultimately, it seeks to strengthen the capacity of legislators to advance sustainable development and uphold human rights in the face of pressing environmental challenges.

PDF(s)

• English

Additional Details

• Tipo de publicación: Toolkit
• Fecha de publicación: April 2025
• Autor/es: Parliamentarians for Global Action

Well done to the PGA on supporting meaningful action in regard to this important treaty.Senator Janelle Chanona (Belize)

This publication is the result of various consultations with parliamentarians, civil society, and other key stakeholders. Consultative activities include the regional parliamentary caucus on Protecting Human Rights Defenders in Environmental Matters in 2023, the side event to the SIDS4 Conference  in 2024 on Empowering Action on the Escazú Agreement, and the 2024 parliamentary caucus to strengthen environmental governance in Trinidad and Tobago. The collaborative nature of this resource reflects the collective commitment to advance climate action and environmental democracy throughout Latin America and the Caribbean and the ownership by parliamentarians to create a robust resource for parliamentarians.

This resource will be extremely helpful. We look forward to using this in our ongoing work on Escazú.Ms. Dylis McDonald, Senior Technical Officer, CANARI

The Toolkit offers a modular approach to understanding the Escazú Agreement and its connection to the climate crisis, human rights, democracy, other relevant international instruments, and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. The Toolkit also highlights key mechanisms for effective implementation of the Agreement, explores lessons learned and good practices from countries in the region, and examines the unique circumstances in the Caribbean. 

The Escazú Agreement is open to the 33 countries of Latin America and the Caribbean and entered into force on 22 April 2021. To date, it has 24 signatories and 17 Parties.

PGA invites all parliamentarians to engage with this Toolkit, in part or in whole, and expresses deep appreciation for all those who have contributed their time and insights into its creation.

Les felicito y agradezco por este nuevo trabajo realizado por nuestro equipo de Derechos Humanos y Medioambiente de PGA.Dip. Margarita Stolbizer (Argentina), PGA Board Member

Background

OP-ED: Jamaican Senator Sophia Frazer-Binns on Environmental governance – A case for acceding to the Escazú Agreement

In an era of pending climate departure, with the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution, which poses an existential threat to Small Island Developing States like Jamaica, environmental governance and management have taken on a new meaning.

Parliamentarians in Trinidad and Tobago Develop Recommendations to Strengthen Environmental Governance and Secure the Human Rights of Environmental Defenders

The hybrid, non-partisan Caucus brought together parliamentarians, experts, and civil society to explore the Escazú Agreement.