National and Regional Actions by CSOs to Advance the Escazú Agreement

First Meeting of the Signatories of the Escazú Agreement October 11, 2019 Half way there – 5 more ratifications to go!

Ratifications Signatories • • 21 Signatories out of 33 • • Saint Kitts & Nevis • Saint Vincent & the Grenadines • • Jamaica

• Two Press Releases were issued. • Main Elected Representative of the Public – Danielle Andrade contributed to the Government Working Group meetings on the Escazú Agreement. • Civil Society also sent a letter to the government encouraging them to sign and ratify the Agreement.

• Civil society continued to integrate Escazú in all their local meetings. • Their Minister Samantha Marshall has been pushing for more NGOs to hold the government accountable.

• The Saint Lucia National Trust teamed up with the Department of Sustainable Development and Department of Fisheries to bring the message of conservation and Escazú to several schools on island. Saint Lucia Trinidad & Tobago

• In August 2019, lead CSOs - Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), the Cropper Foundation, Environment Tobago and the EquiGov Institute, launched a joint campaign with the circulation of an open letter addressed to the Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, for signature of CSOs. • The letter gathered the support of 60 CSOs in advocating for the Government of T&T to sign and ratify the Escazú Agreement. The letter was hand delivered to the Prime Minister’s office on September 6th. • On July 23rd CANARI, Environment Tobago and The Cropper Foundation held a seminar on the Escazú Agreement called ‘People Protecting our Planet: National civil society workshop on the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in and the Caribbean (the Escazú Agreement). • Alternate Elected Representative of the Public, Karetta Crooks Charles delivered a virtual presentation on CSOs role in advancing the Agreement at that seminar. Trinidad & Tobago

• To raise public awareness and increase support, a weekly article series was published in the Trinidad Express* newspaper from August to September 2019. The articles will highlight key aspects of what the Escazú Agreement is trying to achieve and why it is important. • Published articles to date: 1. Catch ah fire - As human rights are eroded, the Amazon goes up in smoke published on August 29, 2019 2. The right to know published on September 5, 2019 3. Catalysing communities - participation of civil society groups critical to achieving sustainable development published on September 12, 2019 4. Call for action on Escazú – putting the environment and people at the heart of sustainable development published on September 26, 2019 *Trinidad Express has a paywall. Click here to read full articles for free • Radio and TV interviews were also conducted on Sept 23rd & 25th by CSO partners to raise awareness of the Escazú Agreement and why the Government of T&T should sign and ratify it. Guyana – CYEN Congress

• From Aug 9th – 14th two Elected Representatives of the Public – Danielle Andrade & Karetta Crooks Charles joined UN ECLAC’s David Barrio to make presentations at the Caribbean Youth Environment Network 2019 Congress in Guyana. • A workshop was also conducted with staff of the Department of Environment. • The three also participated in a Town Hall meeting geared at raising awareness about the Escazú Agreement. • Radio and TV interviews were also conducted. Guyana – CYEN Congress Participants (left) & Department of Environment Workshop on the Escazú Agreement (right) Costa Rica

• On June 25th a presentation on the Escazu agreement was made in the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica (Congress). Organized by the Ministry of Environment, with the participation of Mario Peña, Professor at the University of Costa Rica, Pamela Castillo, Vice Minister of Environment and Deputies. • There was another presentation on the contents and the process of the Agreement for the 5c Citizen Advisory Council on Climate Change on May 14, in the Centro Cientifico Tropical. Costa Rica

• Side Event on the Escazu Agreement held at Pre-Cop on October 10th. Bolivia

• Meeting of the Community of Learning and Exchange on Dialogue and Transformation of Conflicts (CAI) in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, to highlight the importance of the Escazú Agreement; Access to Information, Participation and Justice on environmental matters in LAC.

• The coalition of organizations that are promoting the ratification of the Agreement has remained active (3 coordination meetings held to date). • CIIAT together with the School of Judicial Function of the National Council of the Judiciary developed a first Judicial Training Program in Environmental Law (June-July 2019), in which, access rights among other topics were addressed. • Hivos commissioned a congruence analysis report between the Escazú Agreement and the current regulatory framework. It has been disseminated among the members of the Coalition and in public forums. • CIIAT with the Commissions of Sovereignty, International Relations, Biodiversity and Natural Resources of the National Assembly held a public forum on September 23rd to discuss the importance of ratifying the Agreement in Ecuador. Ecuador

The Citizenship and Development Foundation and the Pachamama Foundation held a breakfast with the media to promote awareness of the Agreement and the importance of ratification. CIIAT is implementing a communication / dissemination campaign on the agreement in social networks. CIIAT is generating academic material that allows public sector actors to be sensitized about the importance of access rights and the Escazú Agreement. The document "The legal importance of the Escazú Agreement in the framework of access rights in Ecuador" has already been published. The digital porter GK city with the support of Cedenma and Fundación Pachamama generated a communication video of the Agreement Chile

• About 100 thousand people marched on September 27th in Santiago de Chile to ask for concrete measures to face the climate crisis. • Among the demands are the signing of the Escazú Agreement, the end of the "sacrifice zones", the closure of the coal-fired thermoelectric plants by 2030, change in the water code to give priority to human consumption and the declaration of a Climate Emergency. • Protesters convened at 6:00 pm in Plaza Italia in the center of the Capital, to walk along the Alameda to the stage located on Echaurren Street (7 underground stations below). Finishing around 9 p.m. with an artistic event. Chile

• They also shared their stories about being harassed and threatened because they're protecting their territories. The green cut-outs represent environmental and human rights defenders who have been killed.

• Several environmental and human rights groups organized an event in Santiago, Chile to show the urgent need for the Chilean government to sign and ratify the Escazú Agreement. - Actividades por IAMEX

• Panel on Escazú and SDG at the OGP • Workshop on Regional Standards and Escazú in Summit, Canada, Ottawa, May 30 and 31 Extractive Industries, Special Rapporteurs for Freedom of Expression, IACHR, July 30 • Workshop on Escazú, Lima , June 24-26 • Meeting with the Subsecretary of Human Rights and Global Issues to discuss the ratification of • Meeting with environmental, land and the Escazú agreement, August 28 territory defenders, CDMX July 1 and 2 • Promarnat (environmental sector program) • Escazú Webinar, August 8 staged a meeting on Escazú Agreement, August 29 • A presentation on Escazú was made at a Regional Collective Meeting with • Participation in the virtual meeting of the defenders of Latin America, Amnesty Board of Directors on the Escazú Agreement, Sept. 9 International, Tlaxcala on July 9 • Workshop with NGOs from the State of Chiapas September 26 Mexico

• A Communications Campaign was launched to take advantage of the opening of signatures within the framework of the UN Assembly. They promoted, together with The National Alliance for the Escazú Agreement, a media and digital dissemination strategy to promote the importance of the signature and ratification of the Escazú Agreement in Colombia. • Main actions: A press release was sent to the media obtaining more than 10 mentions in national and local media. Press Release Link: : https://www.ambienteysociedad.org.co/colombia-tiene-una-oportunidad-unica-de- unirse-al-acuerdo-que-protege-a-los-lideres-ambientales/

• On September 26, a twitteraton was held whose main message was "We need Escazú Now." The focus was on the number of murders of environmental defenders. The Hashtag was a trend in social networks and more than 2000 tweets were achieved. Colombia

• Participation in Human Rights and Companies course • Vídeo - International Right to Know Day From May to August, 2019, Article 19 Brazil participated in the course “Human Rights and ARTICLE 19 Brazil celebrated the International Companies: social and environmental violations Right to Know Day with a video about the Escazú and denounce mechanisms”. The course presented Agreement, highlighting its importance to and discussed available denouncing tools for social improve mechanisms of participation, Rights to and environmental impacts of companies Information and justice on environmental activities, mostly in the extractive sector, in the matters in Brazil and in Latin America, primarily national and international field, covering topics due the high risk situations in which human right such as social protests criminalization, protection defenders operate. mechanisms for human rights defenders, proof production in cases of environmental Link to the vídeo: contamination, the Inter-American system of https://www.instagram.com/p/B3C_SaQH97E/ human rights, among others. Brazil

Peoples’ Summit on Climate, Rights and Human Survival • The Peoples’ Summit on Climate, Rights and Human Survival brought together about 200 leaders from environmental, social justice and human rights movements to unleash new power, energy, and resources to overcome the climate crisis by putting people and human rights at the core of climate action. The event took place from September 18th -19th in New York.

• Article 19 Brazil made a presentation on the panel regarding the strategies in international protection of environmental defenders and brought the Escazú Agreement to light.

• On October 3rd in the city of San Antonio Oeste, province of Rio Negro, in southern Argentina, the Environment and Natural Resources Foundation (FARN) - in partnership with the Institute of Continuing Teacher Training of San Antonio Oeste (IFDC ) and the Inalafquen Foundation - carried out the workshop “Tools for environmental citizenship, promoting the Escazú Agreement” which consisted of a day and a half of work. The event was declared of interest by the Provincial Council of Education (Resolution 5409/2019). • The workshop had seventy participants from San Antonio Oeste, as well as nearby towns such as Las Grutas, San Antonio Este, and Conesa. Argentina

• The profile of the attendees was: 60% teachers of infant, primary, secondary education, and teachers and students of the School of Marine Sciences (ESCIMAR) - National University of Comahue. Likewise, members of the Admiral Storni Marine Resources Applied Research and Technology Transfer Center (CIMAS-CONICET-National Comahue University), non-governmental organizations and local neighborhood movements attended; members of the “Multisectorial for lead issues; environmental guards of natural reserves; high school students, and the general public.

• More than 90% of the attendees were women. Perú

• The civil society network made up of Law, Environment and Natural Resources (DAR), together with Amnesty International and SPDA has carried out capacity building, advocacy and communication actions to promote the ratification of the Escazú Agreement. • DAR has raised awareness about the Escazú Agreement among indigenous peoples organizations, such as Aidesep (national organization) and COICA (regional organization). It has also supported the dissemination of the Escazu Agreement in Quechua, the second most widely read language after Spanish in the country. • The Escazú Agreement has been printed together with institutions such as the Ministry of Environment, the Judiciary, the Public Ministry and the Ombudsman's Office to maximize its dissemination in national workshops. • The capacities of judges in the field of Environmental Justice and the Escazú Agreement have been strengthened at the III International Congress of Environmental Justice, and seminars have been held to introduce and disseminate the Escazú Agreement with indigenous leaders, public officials and citizens. In addition, opinion articles have been prepared, the debate on the importance of the Agreement in international spaces (IACHR, OGP, 4th Regional Consultation on Business and Human Rights, FoAA Rapporteur) has also been held. Perú Honduras

• 1. Presentation of the Escazú Agreement.- Channel 10. • 2. Forwarding of Messages to Community Radio about Escazú Agreement. • 3. Letter to the Government to participate in the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development and to express their political will to sign and ratify the Escazú Agreement. • 4. Press Conference - The Escazú Agreement - The human right to water and the right to a healthy environment. August 2019 • 5. The Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the Institute of Environmental Law of Honduras (IDAMHO), sponsored the Forum “Honduras towards the Escazú Agreement, for Democracy and Environmental Justice”, May 30 2019. Honduras Regional Campaign for Escazú Regional Campaign for Escazú Regional Campaign for Escazú Civicus

• Side Event dubbed Escazú and Beyond: Strengthening the global normative framework on protecting environmental defenders. March 2019. Participants: 1) Leiria Vay, Comité de Desarrollo Campesino (CODECA), . 2) Matome Kapa, Attorney, Centre for Environmental Rights, South Africa. 3) Marcos Orellana, Director Human Rights and Environment Division, HRW 4) David Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment • Natalia Gomez, CIVICUS • Organized by : CIVICUS, International Land Coalition, HRW, and Article 19 among others. Civicus

• Side Event staged at the High Level Political Forum on Sustainable Development - New York, July 15th. • Participants: Yineth Balanta, Lider ambiental afrocolombiana de Suarez, Colombia • Gabriela Burdiles, FIMA, Chile • Representative of the Government of Peru • Representative of the Government of Costa Rica • Organized by: CIVICUS, World Resources Institute, Government of Costa Rica, UN ECLAC, The Access Initiative, Namati & DAR. The Access Initiative Supports the Champions of Escazú Launch

• Launch held at Pre-COP in Costa Rica on Oct. 10th. • David Boyd - Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment is the first Champion of the Escazú Agreement. The Access Initiative Supports the Champions of Escazú Launch THANK YOU AND THE WORK CONTINUES!