The strengthening of environmental democracy and the implementation of the Escazú Agreement were at the center of the debate held on Tuesday (26) at the Rio de Janeiro State University (UERJ), as part of the Rio Climate Action Week (RCAW). The event, titled “The Escazú Moment: From Vision to Victory in Environmental Protection and Democracy”, was organized by Plataforma CIPÓ, the Interdisciplinary Observatory on Climate Change (OIMC/UERJ), and Fundación Ciudadanía Inteligente (FCI).
At the opening, Professor Alice Casimiro Lopes, representing UERJ’s Rector’s Office, highlighted the importance of the event within the context of Brazil’s climate leadership agenda. The panel “Escazú as a Driver of Regional Environmental Democracy” was moderated by journalist Gabriel Gama (Folha de S.Paulo) and featured contributions from Oona Caldeira (Instituto Nupef), Gabriela Cabaña and Sebastián Benfeld (FCI), Carlos Milani (OIMC-UERJ), and Nycolas Candido (CIPÓ).
In his remarks, Candido presented the Monitoring Panel on the Implementation of the Belém Declaration, a CIPÓ initiative that systematically and accessibly tracks the progress related to the document signed in August 2023 by the eight member countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO).
“Amazonian voices must be at the center of this process. COP30 must be participatory, inclusive, and connected to the realities and demands of traditional peoples and communities. These pillars can bridge Rio-92 and the Belém COP, strengthening Amazonian cooperation,” he stated.
The researcher emphasized that justice and social participation guide CIPÓ’s work in initiatives on climate diplomacy, reform of the international financial architecture, and the strengthening of regional cooperation in the Amazon. “The Belém Declaration has spurred the demand for a Social ACTO, as an official mechanism for civil society and peoples’ participation in the region. This is an opportunity to consolidate the Escazú agenda, with environmental democracy as the guiding principle for climate action in the Amazon,” he added.
Six of the eight Amazonian countries have signed the Escazú Agreement (Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, and Peru), but only four have ratified it (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Guyana). For CIPÓ, ratification and effective implementation of the agreement, alongside the commitments of the Belém Declaration, are crucial steps to protect environmental defenders, guarantee territorial rights, and strengthen the region’s democratic governance.
The second panel, “Climate Democracy in the Age of Disinformation”, featured Thais Lazari (FALA – Impact Studio and Information Integrity Observatory), Cledisson Santos (Ministry of Racial Equality – MIR), and Ana Carolina Lourenço (Instituto Cultura, Comunicação e Incidência – ICCI), and was also moderated by Gabriel Gama.
The event also marked the launch of the policy report “Critical Assessment of Principle 10 in Latin America and the Caribbean: Opportunities and Challenges for Environmental Democracy in the Regional Context”, produced by Fundación Ciudadanía Inteligente, which presents recommendations to enhance social participation, access to information, and environmental justice in addressing the climate crisis.
