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Campaign Launch- Caribbean Perspectives on Escazú: Our Rights, Our Future

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On Wednesday, November 6, 2024, the Caribbean Perspectives on Escazú: Our Rights, Our Future Campaign was officially launched, marking a pivotal moment in raising awareness and fostering regional cooperation around the Escazú Agreement. The hybrid campaign, led by The Breadfruit Collective through the Caribbean Climate Justice Alliance (CCJA) and funded by Corporación Fiscalía del Medio Ambiente (FIMA), with support from the Caribbean National Resources Institute (CANARI), seeks to engage Caribbean communities, and civil society to boost understanding of the groundbreaking environmental treaty.


The Escazú Agreement is the first regional environmental treaty in Latin America and the Caribbean designed to safeguard environmental rights and ensure the protection of environmental defenders, making it a critical tool for strengthening environmental justice across the region.


Why Escazú Matters: Protection for Environmental Defenders

A transformative aspect of the Escazú Agreement is its protection of environmental defenders—individuals and groups working at the frontlines to protect the environment. This legally binding treaty requires governments that have ratified it to ensure the safety and protection of those advocating for environmental rights. It mandates action to hold accountable those who harm or intimidate environmental defenders, making it an essential legal framework in the fight for justice, environmental sustainability, and human rights.


Despite its historic importance, several Caribbean nations have not yet ratified the Escazú Agreement, and public awareness remains limited. This Campaign aims to address those gaps by increasing knowledge, visibility, and engagement across the region, with the long-term goal of encouraging broader adoption and ensuring effective implementation of the Agreement.


Phase 1: Building Awareness and Engagement

The first phase of the Campaign, which runs through November and December 2024, focuses on strengthening public awareness on the Escazú Agreement and its objectives across the Caribbean. The Campaign kicked off with an engaging virtual launch event, which featured a panel of experts discussing the future of environmental protection in the Caribbean. The panel included: 


Mr. John Mussington from Barbuda, an environmental defender and leader with the Barbuda Land Rights Committee. He shared how the Escazú Agreement has supported his work in Barbuda’s fight for land ownership and how the Agreement has influenced the legal battle at the Privy Council. 


Dr. Theresa Rodrigues-Moodie the Executive Director of Jamaica Environmental Trust (JET) shared on their ongoing national Campaign on the Escazú Agreement. Dr. Rodrigues noted their goal for the next two years and what she hopes the Agreement will do to advance environmental justice in Jamaica. 


The third panelist, Mr. Bishnu Tulsie who serves as one of two Caribbean elected representatives for the Escazú Agreement shared his involvement in the international discussion and some of the outcomes from the recent Conference of Parties (COP). 


All three panelists were asked to reflect on the next five to ten years and how they envisioned the Escazú Agreement impacting environmental governance across the Caribbean. They shared on the steps they believe that are necessary to ensure the full and effective implementation of the Agreement in the Caribbean. 


The event proved to be a success, generating strong engagement from attendees, with many participants continuing the conversation and sharing insights post-event. The campaign's digital content—blog posts, videos, and educational resources—has continued to draw attention and expand the conversation on social media.


Looking Ahead: Human Rights Day and Phase 2

  • Human Rights Day Event (December 10, 2024): A virtual event will commemorate Human Rights Day, reinforcing the intersection between human rights and environmental rights, which is a cornerstone of the Escazú Agreement.


  • Phase 2 (January 2025): This phase will expand the Campaign’s reach, combining virtual and physical platforms to engage broader audiences. A series of workshops, training, and toolkits will be developed to empower local actors—civil society, environmental defenders, lawyers, and academics—to engage with and advocate for the Escazú Agreement.


Strengthening Capacity Across the Region

A key objective of the campaign is to build capacity within Caribbean civil society. By equipping local groups and individuals with the knowledge and tools needed to advocate effectively for environmental governance and human rights, the campaign seeks to empower communities to actively participate in the implementation of the Escazú Agreement. This will include fostering collaboration between regional actors, ensuring that the efforts to implement the treaty are contextually relevant to each country’s unique challenges and realities.


Join the Movement: Stay Connected

The Caribbean Perspectives on Escazú: Our Rights, Our Future campaign is not just a call to action—it's a movement.

  • Join the conversation: You can watch the recorded launch event here.

  • Stay updated: Sign up for campaign updates and be part of the growing network advocating for environmental justice in the Caribbean.


With your support on the Campaign, the Caribbean can achieve greater environmental protection, ensure the safety of defenders, and realize the promise of the Escazú Agreement for current and future generations.



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