Multi-actor Dialogues and Forums

The Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI) actively contributed to critical discussions on environmental law, human rights, and the triple planetary crisis (climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution) at two major regional forums:

1. Fifth Montevideo Environmental Law Programme Regional Conference

"Legal Responses to Combat the Triple Planetary Crisis in Latin America and the Caribbean"
Dr. Claudia Ituarte-Lima, RWI’s Thematic Leader for Human Rights and the Environment, spoke at two sessions, sharing insights on:
Legal innovations to address socio-environmental challenges.
Linkages between regional efforts and the Escazú Agreement’s implementation.
This conference informed the Second Annual Forum on Human Rights Defenders in Environmental Matters (see below).

2. Second Annual Forum on Human Rights Defenders in Environmental Matters

Panama City | September 26–28, 2023
Co-organized by ECLAC (Escazú Agreement Secretariat), the Government of Panama, OHCHR, UNEP, UNDP, UN Women, and the World Bank.

Focus areas:
• Challenges faced by environmental defenders in Latin America & the Caribbean.
• Best practices for protection, prevention, and policy advocacy.
• Drafting a regional Action Plan to safeguard defenders.
RWI’s engagement underscored our commitment to bridging legal frameworks, biocultural realities, and transnational solidarity in environmental justice.

3. COP2 Webinar: Innovations of the Escazú Agreement Contributing to Global Biodiversity Goals

April 19, 2023 | 8:00–9:30 AM Buenos Aires (GMT-3) | 1:00–2:30 PM CET
Zoom Webinar | Spanish |

About the Event:
This webinar fostered dialogue between Latin American, Caribbean, and global stakeholders on how the Escazú Agreement advances the implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework, supporting the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the right to a healthy environment.

Key Discussion Themes:
• How does the Escazú Agreement’s innovative framework contribute to achieving biodiversity targets?
• How can academia and youth advance access to justice for biodiversity and ecosystem protection?
• How does the Escazú Agreement safeguard territorial and biocultural heritage?

See more about the event here

4. Escazú Agreement COP2 Side-Event

"Innovations of the Escazú Agreement Contributing to Global Biodiversity Goals"
*19 April 2023*

Event Overview
This side-event explored how the Escazú Agreement can synergize with the Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) and Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to advance environmental democracy, human rights, and biocultural preservation. Building on insights from the 2021 dialogues and the 2022 COP1 side-event, the discussion highlighted actionable pathways for Latin America, the Caribbean, and other regions.

Key Objectives
Catalyze integrated implementation of the Escazú Agreement and GBF/CBD to strengthen environmental governance.
Foster cross-regional dialogue on environmental democracy, emphasizing the Escazú Agreement’s innovative approaches.
Participants
Moderator: Dr. Claudia Ituarte-Lima (Raoul Wallenberg Institute)

Panelists:
Ana Di Pangracio (IUCN Councillor; Executive Director, FARN)
Luz Fernández (Wayuu Indigenous Leader; REMIB-LAC)
Prof. Raúl Montenegro (Right Livelihood Award Laureate)
José Daniel Rodríguez-Orúe (World’s Youth for Climate Justice)
Organizational Support: Amanda Oliveira, Milena Bernal Rubio, Nikita Lourenco Calling, Christina Geijer af Ekström

Key Insights
1. Paradigm Shift in Biodiversity Governance
The Escazú Agreement offers a transformative model for the CBD, centering:

Human rights, gender equality, and intergenerational equity as foundations for conservation.

GBF Targets 22 (access rights, protection for defenders) and 23 (gender equality) as critical levers for systemic change.

2. Rights-Based Litigation & Collaboration
Case Study: Argentine NGOs used criminal law to halt illegal nuclear reactor approvals, underscoring the role of cross-sectoral legal strategies.

Indigenous Partnerships: Technical collaboration with communities (e.g., Valle de Cunia Pirú, Argentina) enabled legal recognition of ancestral lands and biocultural heritage.

3. Protecting Environmental Defenders
Escazú’s explicit protections for defenders address threats linked to mining, agribusiness, and large-scale infrastructure.

Call to Action: Direct financing and policy safeguards are needed to uphold defenders’ roles in protecting ecosystems.

4. Bridging Local to Global Action
Indigenous & Youth Leadership:

Wayuu women’s territorial defense, rooted in ancestral worldviews, exemplifies biocultural stewardship.

Youth movements (e.g., World’s Youth for Climate Justice) leverage international law to demand intergenerational equity.

Global Advocacy: The ICJ’s advisory opinion on climate justice could amplify Escazú-aligned standards worldwide.

5. Workshop "China in Latin America & the Caribbean – Can the Escazú Agreement Deliver Climate & Biodiversity Outcomes?"

*Santiago, Chile | 23-25 April 2024*
Organizers: Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI), Dialogue Earth, ICLAC, and FLACSO, held alongside the Escazú Agreement COP3.

Key Discussion Areas:
China’s Complex Role: Participants analyzed China’s non-monolithic investment system, emphasizing the need to "disaggregate" its actors (state vs. private) and initiatives like the Belt and Road.

Technocentric vs. Rights-Based Approaches: Contrasted China’s engineering-focused environmental strategies with Latin America’s rights-based frameworks like the Escazú Agreement.

Local Agency Matters: Highlighted examples (Zambia, Indonesia) where host governments and civil society shaped Chinese projects through regulations or protests.

Escazú’s Potential: The Agreement’s Article 9 (protecting environmental defenders) and its new Regional Action Plan were seen as tools to hold Chinese firms accountable and advance Target 22 of the Global Biodiversity Framework.

Knowledge Gaps: Urged bridging China expertise gaps among policymakers and communities to negotiate better project terms.

Outcome: Launched RWI’s China in the World Programme, with three more regional workshops planned to build an open-access platform on China’s environmental-human rights impacts.

See more here: