The need for na Environmental Democracy to Guarantee Human Rights in Latin America

Abstract

The Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Escazú Agreement) entered into force in 2021, after achieving ratification in 11 countries. This is the first environmental treaty in the region, where it considers the greatest advance in terms of environmental democracy. This text addresses the international context that currently characterizes Latin America and later focuses on the motivations, stages and characteristics of the negotiation of this binding instrument. Likewise, the text develops the meaning and scope of the main provisions of the Agreement, highlighting its nature as an environmental and human rights treaty. In addition, the current status of the treaty and the next steps to be taken are presented. Finally, the main political arguments used by certain actors to question the Escazú Agreement are discussed.