Colombia's Congress has ratified the Escazu agreement to protect the environment, the government said late on Monday, paving the way to provide greater protection to environmentalists across the Andean country.
The Escazu agreement, adopted in Costa Rica in March 2018, includes provisions to ensure the public's right to environmental information, the right to participation in environmental decision making, and also to protect environmentalists, among others.
"This is a triumph for the youth and we hope to honor it with an implementation plan so that we can have more decisions by citizens on the environment, greater participation, and defend those who defend the environment," Environment Minister Susana Muhamad said in a statement.
Colombia is one of the deadliest countries in the world for environmentalists, with 322 environmental defenders killed for their work between 2012 and 2021, according to advocacy group Global Witness.
"The Colombian Congress' decision to ratify the Escazu agreement is a vital lifeline for defenders facing countless attacks in Colombia and who are risking their lives trying to defend their land and the environment," Shruti Suresh, Global Witness' campaign strategy lead, said in a statement.
The ratification is a triumph for the government, which sought to sanction the agreement within the first 100 days of President Gustavo Petro's administration.
Petro hailed the outcome in a message published on Twitter.
"The international agreement of Escazu has been approved into law, which will look to protect the environment and environmentalists. Congratulations to Congress and Colombian society," he said.
Prior to Colombia's Congress approving the agreement, some 13 other countries in Latin America had ratified the Escazu accord, while 24 have signed up to the deal.
Colombia will push five actions in the short term following the ratification, including a strategy to assist environmentalists and an information system regarding socio-environmental conflict, the ministry of the environment said in a statement.
(Reporting by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
