Colombia ratifies the Escazú Agreement: a milestone in environmental protection
In the annual report “The Land and Environmental Defenders at the frontlines of the climate crisis” for 2023, Global Witness highlighted that Colombia is the country with the highest number of murders of environmental defenders, reaching 60 cases in 2022. Brazil, which ranks second on the list, has registered 34 cases, so Colombia has almost twice as many murders as Brazil. Colombia has suffered two-thirds of the 177 environmentalists killed worldwide, making it the most dangerous country in the world for environmental human rights defenders. ‘They protect everyone’s territory, but no one protects them,’ said Gabriella Bianchini, researcher at Global Witness.
Latin America, a region plagued by climate change and rampant exploitation of natural resources, has become the most dangerous for these activists, worsening the situation exponentially and putting these defenders in ‘danger of extinction’.
This data highlights the urgency of the situation and is a reminder of the work and commitment that this issue requires. However, so far, neither the security schemes, nor the complaints, nor the measures taken have succeeded in curbing the history of violence against environmental defenders in Colombia.
In an attempt to promote comprehensive and effective protection for environmental defenders, as well as to preserve biodiversity, on 28 August Colombia finally ratified its accession as a signatory to the Escazú Agreement. This historic step taken by the Colombian Constitutional Court is a milestone for the country, as the Escazú Agreement, adopted in Costa Rica on 4 March 2018, is the first environmental treaty in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as the only one in the world, which includes the first binding provision on the protection of human rights defenders in environmental matters, recognising three fundamental rights: access to environmental information, public participation in environmental decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters. Jorge Enrique Ibáñez, leader of the Colombian Constitutional Court, said ‘this ruling represents a significant advance in the protection of environmental rights and in the consolidation of environmental democracy in the country’.
The Agreement, despite being signed by a large number of States, reaching 24 countries, only 16 countries have ratified it to date (Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, Grenada, Guyana, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Uruguay and Colombia).
Colombia’s ratification of the Escazú Agreement now faces its greatest challenge, the true and effective implementation of the Agreement throughout the Colombian territory. In this sense, the Ministry of Environment has advanced the dialogues to start implementing the National System of Environmental Social Control and a Protocol of Reaction to situations of risk for environmental defenders and to guarantee their safety. Susana Muhamad, Minister of Environment, said that the government, aware of this great challenge, has already begun to work on the effective implementation of the Agreement, advancing in the creation of the Inter-Institutional Commission for a comprehensive implementation of the Escazú Agreement and the Alert for my Environment Programme, an initiative that promotes citizen participation, access to information and the improvement of environmental governance in Colombia.
Colombia has taken a historic step that marks a turning point in its record of defending the environment. The ratification of the Escazú Agreement is not only a triumph for environmental governance, but also an increase in its commitment to sustainable development, inclusive economic growth and the protection of biodiversity. The Colombian country has moved towards a more just and equal state for present and future generations.
Carmen Coleto Martínez, FIBGAR Project Manager
4 September 2024
