Opening remarks by Michelle Brathwaite, OHCHR Regional Representative for the Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
Saint Kitts and Nevis, 8 April 2025
Good evening,
It is both a privilege and a pleasure to represent the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights at this distinguished event. As a Caribbean woman, it is also a personal honour to bring our region’s unique perspective to this important conversation on the Escazú Agreement.
I am equally proud to speak on behalf of the United Nations Resident Coordinator for Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean and my colleagues across the UN system, while commending the leadership of ECLAC in its role as Secretariat of this groundbreaking treaty.
The Escazú Agreement stands as a powerful testament to international cooperation, multilateralism, and regional solidarity. As the first environmental treaty in Latin America and the Caribbean – and the first in the world to enshrine specific protections for environmental human rights defenders – it affirms the vital role these defenders play in safeguarding our environment, climate, and biodiversity.
By securing access to information, public participation, and justice in environmental matters, and by promoting a safe and enabling environment for those who speak out to defend these rights, the Escazú Agreement positions our region at the forefront of global efforts to advance both environmental protection and human rights.
Ratifying and fully implementing the Agreement offers States a valuable opportunity to lead with vision and determination in addressing the region’s environmental challenges. In doing so, they also reaffirm their commitment to sustainable development and climate justice. This transformative agenda empowers communities, especially those historically excluded from decision-making, to participate meaningfully in shaping the policies that affect their environment, health, and future.
In this context, we commend those States that have already adopted or initiated national implementation roadmaps. While we celebrate this progress, we must also underscore the urgent need to strengthen protection mechanisms for environmental human rights defenders, to prevent threats and attacks against them, and to ensure the timely and effective implementation of these safeguards. The United Nations family stands ready and committed to support these national efforts, under the leadership of ECLAC and in close partnership with States and civil society.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The Forum on Human Rights Defenders in Environmental Matters under the Escazú Agreement is the leading regional platform for and about those who dedicate their lives to defending human rights and the environment. It also represents a cornerstone for advancing implementation of the Regional Action Plan under Article 9 of the Agreement.
Article 9 places a clear obligation on States Parties to guarantee a safe and enabling environment for individuals, groups, and organizations that promote and defend human rights in environmental matters. As the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders has noted, such an environment is one in which defenders are supported by society at large, and where institutions and government processes actively uphold their safety and the legitimacy of their mission.
In essence, the spirit of Article 9, and indeed the entire Escazú Agreement, might be captured in one powerful idea: If we want to defend the environment, we must start by protecting those who defend it.
To realize this vision, international standards call for the formal recognition of the essential role played by defenders, a comprehensive protection framework that emphasizes the value of their work – not just their security, and meaningful access to justice, including ending impunity for violations committed against them.
This Forum will take us deeper into these essential themes. Over the next few days, we will: reflect on progress and challenges in implementing Article 9; discuss core elements towards a regional assessment on the situation of environmental human rights defenders; deepen our understanding of mainstreaming a gender perspective across implementation efforts; strengthen our skills and knowledge in areas such as access to justice and digital security; and importantly, exchange knowledge, experiences, and ideas that will enhance cooperation across borders and communities.
These thematic pillars of the Forum remind us of a fundamental truth: the Escazú Agreement is not merely a document of principles – it is a practical instrument for positive change. Its implementation is already delivering results, and its potential to prevent harm and drive progress is profound.
Friends and colleagues,
In October 2023, CARICOM member states delivered a united message to the Human Rights Council, calling for increased human rights support and technical cooperation in the Caribbean. That call was answered with the unanimous adoption of HRC Resolution 54/33 and the establishment of a new OHCHR regional office for the Caribbean Community.
The commitment of CARICOM countries to human rights – as a framework for inclusive development, environmental justice, and social resilience – is deeply meaningful. The new multi-country office, based in Nassau, Bahamas, is now positioned to support CARICOM States in advancing human rights in the region, particularly the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment and the full implementation of the Escazú Agreement.
By reinforcing transparency, accountability, and participatory governance, the Escazú Agreement strengthens democratic institutions, empowers civil society, and upholds the principle that a healthy environment is a fundamental human right. This is essential to ensure that all people, especially those from marginalized and vulnerable groups, can engage meaningfully in decisions that affect their environment, health, and livelihoods.
Let me leave you with an invitation – and a challenge.
Let us use this Third Forum as a space for real dialogue. Let’s start conversations with those beside you, and with those you’ve yet to meet, because you are the heart of the event. Let’s seize every opportunity to connect, collaborate, and amplify the extraordinary work happening in our communities.
And looking ahead to the Fourth Forum, I urge all of us – experts, civil society, national institutions, UN agencies, and governments – to champion wider recognition of the essential role played by environmental human rights defenders. Let us develop and share concrete initiatives that elevate their voices and protect their work. I look forward to seeing those good practices featured in our next gathering.
It is my sincere hope that the impact of this Third Forum will resonate far beyond this week. May our shared efforts continue to inspire bold action and lasting change across the region. And may the Escazú Agreement remain a beacon of hope, solidarity, and transformation for Latin America, for the Caribbean, and a model for the world.
Thank you.