On Thursday, Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis announced the country’s official accession to the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, commonly known as the Escazú Agreement. The Bahamas is now the ninth CARICOM member state and the 18th in the region to join the treaty.
Prime Minister Davis marked the announcement during a public ceremony held at The Retreat National Park in New Providence, coinciding with World Environment Day and the United Nations International Day for the environment.
“Every Bahamian has the right to a safe and clean environment. Our accession to the Escazú Agreement, precisely on World Environment Day, is a decisive step towards making it a reality. It places our people and one of our greatest treasures, our environment, first,” he said.
Highlighting the government’s commitment, the Prime Minister emphasized the importance of environmental preservation for the islands. “Our government has deliberately prioritized our island’s natural richness, as the lifeline that sustains the economy, livelihoods and wellbeing of present and future generations of Bahamians.”
The Escazú Agreement, adopted in March 2018 and in force since April 2021, aims to guarantee the right to a healthy environment and sustainable development. It does so by ensuring public access to environmental information, participation in decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters. Notably, it is the first regional treaty in the world to include specific provisions to protect human rights defenders working on environmental issues.
Also taking part in the ceremony were the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honourable Frederick Mitchell, the Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, the Honourable Vaughn Miller, the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean’s Director of Sustainable Development and Human Settlements, Carlos de Miguel, and the United Nations Country Coordination Officer in the Bahamas, Aneesah Abdullah.
Minister Mitchell stated that “climate change is our top foreign policy priority. By joining the Escazú Agreement, we are reaffirming one of the core pillars of our diplomatic engagement and leading by example in a critical year for the region, as the climate COP 30 will be hosted by Brazil.”
“We have long regarded the environment as a commodity belonging to us, often degrading it and underestimating its potential. When we see it as part of our essence, as a community, we begin to value and cherish it fully. As a vulnerable Small Island State in the frontlines of climate change, the Escazú Agreement gives us additional tools to safeguard and preserve our ecosystems and natural resources, building capacities and strengthening our collaboration with other countries of the region” highlighted Minister Miller.
