The four nominees in Subregion 2 in the ongoing elections for the position of Elected Representatives
of the Escazú Agreement are relying on all eligible Caribbean people to cast their votes before
November 3 rd at 11:59 p.m. (Santiago de Chile time). The Escazú Agreement is a regional agreement
on access to information, public participation and justice in environmental matters in Latin America
and the Caribbean. This historical agreement also has provisions for the protection of environmental
defenders. This Agreement is particularly important for Caribbean people because too often fragile
ecosystems are destroyed in the name of development and those who are most affected are often left
out of the decision-making processes about these projects.
The passionate candidates from the Caribbean are Ruth Spencer – Antigua and Barbuda; Laleta Davis
Mattis – Jamaica; Nicole Leotaud – Trinidad and Tobago and Bishnunarine Tulsie – Saint Lucia.
Learn more about the candidates here: (3) Project • Candidacies Subregion 2 (cepal.org)
Recently, the candidates plus the two outgoing Elected Representatives of the Public from the
Caribbean along with representatives of the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America
and the Caribbean staged a virtual dialogue to introduce the candidates to the public, share the
challenges and successes experienced over the years and the voting procedures for the election. Some
of the main reasons the candidates expressed they were interested in being elected included: using
Escazú as a tool to empower people, especially local groups and the youth; advocating for all
Caribbean countries to ratify the Agreement; promoting the meaningful sharing of environmental
information and public engagement; ensuring that States are held accountable; raising awareness that
environment issues are not solely about development but about the right to a healthy life; and
promoting the implementation of the Agreement by Caribbean civil society organisations.
The dialogue can be watched in its entirety at: https://fb.watch/gy-L2Qk6Tl/
Only persons who were registered with the Regional Public Mechanism for the Escazu Agreement
prior to 22 nd August 2022 are eligible to vote. The Voting Platform can be accessed at:
https://publicoescazu.cepal.org/en/projects/vote-for-your-candidate?utm_source=share_project.
Voting takes less than 1 minute, here is a short video explaining the process:
https://youtu.be/rdobotg9H-8. Don’t miss this opportunity to elect the next set of Caribbean
representatives who will be giving of their time and expertise to ensure present and future generations
live in a healthy environment.
