Escazú Agreement
Time-sensitive: Action required before September 27, 2018
On September 27, 2018 countries will have a historic opportunity: to join the most important agreement of the last 20 years on human rights and environmental protection in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The Escazú agreement is a regional unprecedented initiative to establish institutional and legal mechanisms to achieve breakthroughs in environmental justice in Latin America and the Caribbean, involving information, public participation and access to justice in environmental matters and protection defenders of the environment.
Governments across Latin America and the Caribbean can make history and set new standards of environmental protection and human rights by signing the Escazú Agreement during the UN General Assembly to be held in New York on September 27, 2018.
“The Platform against the Mining Arc” and many other organizations are showing strong support for the campaign by Amnesty International to ensure that governments in the region sign the Escazú Agreement, and especially, that the government of Venezuela subscribes this Agreement.
Currently Venezuela has witnessed unprecedented environmental degradation as an amplified effect of the crisis unfolding in all sectors of national life. Multiple cases of deforestation and environmental devastation are reported in protected and unprotected areas of the country. The advance of illegal mining and the establishment of “el Arco Minero del Orinoco” establishes multiple sources for devastation of forests, soil and riverbeds, poisoning wildlife, illegal hunting and intense wildlife trafficking. Features of ecocide are being replicated in many areas of the Venezuelan Amazon, affecting not only our natural heritage but home, culture and habitat of native peoples. In addition, the protection of environmental activists in Venezuela is of utmost priority. South of the Orinoco, environmental activists have been seriously threatened by different actors. Especially indigenous communities who have fought for their territories. Their opposition to mining has subjected them to abuse, coercion, persecution and imprisonment of some leaders, including reported killings of some of members by mining mafias.
Human beings are the central subject of sustainable development and should be an active participants in achieving it. The Escazú Agreement is a means to ensure a safe and supportive environment in which individuals, groups and organizations that promote and defend human rights on environmental issues can act without threats, restrictions, attacks and insecurity. The Escazú Agreement empowers organizations, communities and environmental advocates to establish processes that open roads to justice on important issues such as the Decree of Arco Minero del Orinoco, the right to access to drinking water, destruction of watersheds and Indigenous lands for mining projects (cases Sierra de Perija, Guasare, Tocuyito, Canaima, Caura, etc.). The agreement establishes processes for orienting development of our country harmoniously with environmental balance and sustainable ancestral processes.
This Sept. 27, 2018, the United Nations officially open for signing the Escazú Agreement. At least 11 countries must ratify for the Agreement to enter into force. If we do not reach that figure, we will lose this unique opportunity to speak out for human rights and the environment. To date, only three countries have openly committed to signing it . It 's not too late to encourage all countries in the region to do so.
Make history happen now. Sign the petition to tell your government to sign and ratify the Agreement Escazu: http://speakout4defenders.com/es/get-involved
To review the Escazú Agreement can visit the following link: https://www.cepal.org/es/acuerdodeescazu .
It is also very useful to see the next video prepared by Amnesty International:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYUvw7Sk0gw
In this link you can review all information and outreach materials prepared by Amnesty: https://amnesty.app.box.com/v/BoxEscazu