The Escazú Agreement is highlighted at Regional Seminar for Parliaments of the Caribbean

The Second Regional Seminar for Parliaments of the Caribbean: Strengthening parliamentary action on the Sustainable Development Goals took place in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, on 5 and 6 December 2019.

The aim of the seminar was to further explore the opportunities and challenges facing parliaments in the Caribbean region in exercising their role in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals. Following the priorities identified in the Paramaribo Declaration, special emphasis will be placed on action taken by parliaments in the Caribbean region on climate change.

ECLAC delivered a keynote presentation on SDG implementation in the Caribbean Region. Furthermore, in its capacity as Technical Secretariat of the Escazú Agreement, it also highlighted the importance of the regional treaty for climate action.

The outcome document of the meeting “Port of Spain Declaration” underscored the Escazú Agreement. It stated that Parliaments play a vital role in overseeing the effective national implementation of multilateral environmental agreements, namely the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Escazú Agreement and reinforced the urgent need for parliaments to create an enabling environment for national ratification and implementation of these agreements.

The seminar was attended by parliamentarians from Barbados, Cuba, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Saint Lucia, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.