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illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on Human Rights Watch or enjoy below:
🗞️ Driving the news: Colombia has ratified the Escazú Agreement, a groundbreaking environmental treaty for Latin American and Caribbean nations
The agreement strengthens environmental protections, ensuring public participation, access to information, and safeguarding environmental defenders
As Colombia joins Ecuador, Bolivia, and Guyana in ratifying the treaty, attention shifts to Brazil, where the process has stalled despite calls for urgency
🔭 The context: The Escazú Agreement is vital for a region grappling with environmental degradation and violence against activists, especially in areas like the Amazon Rainforest
While Brazil signed the agreement in 2018, it has yet to ratify it, delayed by legislative inaction after Lula da Silva submitted it to Congress
With Brazil set to host COP30, ratification is seen as essential to reaffirm its environmental commitments
🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The treaty promotes environmental governance, critical for protecting ecosystems like the Amazon, which play a key role in mitigating climate change
It also protects environmental defenders, who face violence in one of the world’s most dangerous regions for activists
⏭️ What's next: As Brazil prepares for COP30, pressure mounts on its government to ratify the treaty, aligning its actions with global environmental goals and enhancing protections for its rainforest and defenders
💬 One quote: Ratifying the Escazú Agreement is “extremely urgent” and would "reaffirm... the Brazilian government’s commitment to protecting the environment." – Brazilian federal prosecutors
📈 One stat: Brazil is home to 60% of the Amazon Rainforest
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