Chile's new left-wing President Gabriel Boric has signed on to the United Nations Escazu Agreement, reversing the previous Chilean government's position of refusing to accept the environmental deal.
Chile, the world's largest copper producer, initially supported the pact, which focuses on access to information and environmental protection in Latin America and the Caribbean, but eventually declined to join it, citing legal concerns.
Boric on Escazu treaty
MARTIN BERNETTI/AFP via Getty Images
The Chilean Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on Friday that President Gabriel Boric has signed the UN Escazu Agreement, reversing the government of former President Sebastián Piera.
The convention was negotiated at the 2012 United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ("Rio 2012 Conference"), and it is the first in the world to incorporate provisions for environmental defenders' rights.
The pact was signed on March 4, 2018, and will enter into force on April 22, 2021. Chile is now the treaty's 25th signatory, the UN Economic Commission for Latin America, and the Caribbean's 12th ratifying member, as per Jurist.
Boric, who took over for center-right former President Sebastian Pinera last week, has committed to taking a firm stance on climate change and environmental legislation.
This deal marks a watershed moment in the state's connection with its citizens in environmental problems, according to Boric, who spoke during a signing ceremony on Friday.
Boric, a 36-year-old former student activist, took office on March 11. He was elected as Chile's youngest president on a platform of addressing the country's significant inequalities and improving access to healthcare, education, and pensions.
Boric tweeted on Friday, "Environmental warriors, you have taught us to endure, and we are here for you." Just as we pushed the signing of Escazu today, we will continue to fight for adequate pensions, great health care, and the abolition of gender violence in educational institutions tomorrow, as per Aljazeera.
EHRDs are defined by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders as individuals and groups who, in their personal or professional capacity and in a peaceful manner, try to protect and support civil rights related to the environment, including water, air, land, flora, and fauna.
They are typically local individuals or indigenous people dealing with a growing local population, the implementation of construction projects, or activities associated with extractive sector.
EHRDs, who frequently live near environmentally important locations, play an essential role in safeguarding these areas and hence contribute significantly to achieving global climate and sustainable development goals, as per Universal Rights Group.
The Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation, and Justice in Environmental Matters, often known as the Escazu Agreement, is the first broader environmental civil liberties pact in Latin America and the Caribbean.
It was drafted and adopted in Escazu, Costa Rica, in 2018, with civil society, individual rights, and environmental specialists engaging in the process and thereby playing an important role in the treaty's approval.
The Escazu accord provides the right to receive environmental information and participate in environmental judgment, therefore increasing environmental information and access to justice.
While theEscazuz Agreement recognizes the right to a healthy environment, it also compels states to prevent and investigate assaults on persons who safeguard and defend environmental rights.
The agreement recognizes the importance of EHRDs' work and requires states to provide recommendations on suitable and effective measures to protect their safety.
