Newsletter N º  61 – October/December 2022                                      |Technical Secretariat EscazúAgreement ECLAC - United Nations

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Meet the new elected representatives of the public

The elections of new representatives of the public for the Escazú Agreement took place on 2 and 3 November 2022 in accordance with Rule XIV.3 of the Rules of Procedure of the Conference of the Parties to the Escazú Agreement, which establish that “representatives of the public shall be elected through the regional public mechanism, in order to encourage and facilitate public participation and to channel their contributions”.

The election was held electronically through the voting platform provided for this purpose and was coordinated by the Secretariat of the Agreement, in accordance with the Rules for the Election.

The electoral register was composed of all persons registered in the Regional Public Mechanism on 22 August 2022, before 11:59 p.m. Santiago time. To vote, each voter had to sign up to the electronic voting platform. Each voter had one vote to elect any candidate.

The two persons receiving the highest number of votes in each of the sub-regions were elected as representatives. In each sub-region, no more than one person elected as representative could be from the same country (national or resident) or of the same sex.

The names and e-mail addresses of the newly elected representatives of the public are as follows:

• SR. CÉSAR ARTIGA, FROM EL SALVADOR. cesarneftali@gmail.com
• SR. MIJAEL KAUFMAN, FROM ARGENTINA. mijaelkaufman@gmail.com
• SRA. NICOLE LEOTAUD, FROM TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO. nicole@canari.org
• SRA. JOARA MARCHEZINI, FROM BRAZIL. joaramarchezini@gmail.com
• SRA. IRENE MURILLO, FROM COSTA RICA. murilloirene2@gmail.com
• SR. BISHNU TULSIE, FROM SAINT LUCIA. btulsie@gmail.com

The Escazú Agreement Secretariat congratulates the six newly elected representatives of the public and wishes them success in their new functions.

The Secretariat also would like to express its gratitude to the former representatives, Danielle Andrade, Karetta Crooks-Charles, Natalia Gómez, Andrés Napoli, Andrea Sanhueza and Tomás Severino, for their work as elected representatives in recent years and invites them to continue working with the Secretariat, the newly elected representatives and the delegations to make the Escazú Agreement a reality in the region.

REMINDER: Call for nominations of members of the Committee to Support Implementation and Compliance of the Escazú Agreement

Deadline for nominations: 15 December 2022

(up to 11:59 pm Santiago, Chile time)

1. BACKGROUND

Article 18 of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Escazú Agreement) establishes a Committee to Support Implementation and Compliance as a subsidiary body of the Conference of the Parties to promote the implementation of the Agreement and to support the Parties in that regard.

The Committee is of a consultative and transparent nature, non-adversarial, non-judicial and non-punitive and shall review compliance of the provisions of the Agreement and formulate recommendations, ensuring the significant participation of the public and paying particular attention to the national capacities and circumstances of the Parties.

At its first meeting, held in Santiago on 20–22 April 2022, the Conference of the Parties adopted the rules relating to the structure and functions of the Committee to Support Implementation and Compliance (decision I/3). These rules provide that the Committee shall be composed of seven members, who shall serve in their personal capacity. The members of the Committee shall serve ad honorem, without remuneration. The rules also contain the procedure for the selection of the members of the Committee.

By virtue of decision I/5, it was agreed that the first members of the Committee will be elected at the extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties to be held in April 2023 in Argentina.

2. REQUIREMENTS FOR CANDIDATES

In accordance with Rule II on the structure and functions of the Committee, any person meeting the following criteria may nominate him or herself to the Committee:

• Be a national of or a resident of the countries set out in annex I to the Agreement
• Be independent from the executive, legislative or judicial powers of such countries
• Be a person of high moral standing
• Have recognized competence in access rights or other matters covered by the Agreement

In addition, time availability for the proper performance of duties is estimated to be at least three months (90 days) per year, which includes face-to-face and virtual meetings, preparatory work and, if necessary, travel.

3. DOCUMENTS TO BE PRESENTED

To demonstrate compliance with the above requirements, interested candidates must send the following documents to the Escazú Agreement Secretariat at secretaria.escazu@cepal.org by 15 December 2022,11:59 pm Chile time: 

1. Nomination form (Annex 1) 

2. Passport, ID card or residence permit. 

3. Affidavit (Annex 2) stating: • Independence from the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the countries listed in annex I; • Commitment to comply with the duties and functions set out in decision I/3; and • The information submitted is reliable and any falsehood or intentional omission will result in disqualification.

We would appreciate the widest possible dissemination, so as to reach the greatest number of potential candidates.

First regional forum discusses the situation of environmental human rights defenders in Latin America and the Caribbean

The First Annual Forum on Human Rights Defenders in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean took place in Quito on 22 and 23 November. It was organized by ECLAC, in its capacity as Secretariat of the Escazú Agreement, in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Government of Ecuador, with the support of the World Bank's Human Rights, Inclusion and Empowerment (HRIE) Umbrella Trust Fund.

Convened in accordance with decision I/6 of the first Conference of the Parties to the Escazú Agreement, this first forum aimed to provide a space for discussion on the situation of human rights defenders in environmental matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, bringing together the Parties to the Escazú Agreement, recognized specialists in the field, and the public, especially human rights defenders, indigenous peoples and local communities, and people or groups in vulnerable situations who defend the environment.

The event was attended in person by more than 120 participants, including environmental defenders from more than 20 countries of the region, authorities, representatives of civil society and national, regional and international organizations. 

The conclusions of the forum will be reflected in a final report that will serve as input for the preparation and review of the action plan by the ad hoc working group on human rights defenders in environmental matters. The next steps in the preparation of the action plan and modalities for participation will be announced soon.

Implementation Guide of the Escazú Agreement is published

This guide has been prepared to raise awareness about the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Escazú Agreement), to provide guidance and information to the States parties and other stakeholders to ensure full compliance with the treaty provisions, to serve as a supporting document for the States that are considering becoming parties and to allow the public at large to become better acquainted with the Agreement.

Drafted by ECLAC, in its capacity as Secretariat of the Agreement, with the support of international and environmental law experts, it was also reviewed by other experts and subject to a public consultation.

UPCOMING MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES

Extraordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Escazú Agreement

Buenos Aires, Argentina, 20 and 21 April 2023

Secretariat
Escazú Agreement
ECLAC - United Nations
http://www.cepal.org/en/escazuagreement