Civil society organisations (CSOs) working on environmental management across Trinidad and Tobago, and other interested CSOs, call on the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to signal its commitment to good environmental governance by signing and ratifying the Escazú Agreement.

Our OPEN LETTER to the Prime Minister, signed by 60 CSOs, was hand-delivered to the Office of the Prime Minister on September 6, 2019. Read the letter here.

Why is this important?

The Escazú Agreement is the first regional environmental treaty for Latin America and the Caribbean and the first treaty in the world with specific protection mechanisms for environmental defenders. It aims to guarantee the full and effective implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean of the rights of access to environmental information, public participation in the environmental decision-making process and access to justice in environmental matters.

The TT Government played a leading role in the negotiations of the Escazú Agreement and was widely commended for having strong legal, regulatory and policy mechanisms in place to support implementation of this internationally ground-breaking treaty. Unfortunately, the Government has not yet signed or ratified this critical Agreement. 

Two weeks left to sign!

The upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2019 presents a clear opportunity for affirmative government action. The Escazú Agreement is one of four environmental treaties to be signed/ratified during the UNGA and several countries within Latin America and the Caribbean have already signaled their intention to sign/ratify the Agreement on September 26, 2019.

Here's how you can help

Sign this petition and share via social media with TT Government officials, their offices and your Members of Parliament.