CHAPTER XXVII
ENVIRONMENT18Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the CaribbeanEscazú, 4 March 201822 April 2021, in accordance with article 22(1) , the present Agreement shall enter into force on the ninetieth day after the date of deposit of the eleventh instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession.22 April 2021, No. 56654Signatories24Parties16United Nations,<i>Treaty Series</i>,vol. 3398C.N.195.2018.TREATIES-XXVII.18 of 9 April 2018 (Opening for signature) and C.N.196.2018.TREATIES-XXVII.18 of 9 April 2018 (Issuance of Certified True Copies).The Agreement was adopted on 4 March 2018 at the ninth meeting of the negotiating committee of the regional agreement on access to information, participation and justice in environmental matters in Latin America and the Caribbean held in Escazú, Costa Rica, from 28 February to 4 March 2018. It shall be open for signature at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 27 September 2018 to 26 September 2020 by any of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean included in annex 1 of the Agreement.
ParticipantSignatureRatification, Acceptance(A), Approval(AA), Accession(a)Antigua and Barbuda27 Sep 2018 4 Mar 2020 Argentina27 Sep 2018 22 Jan 2021 Belize24 Sep 2020 7 Mar 2023 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 2 Nov 2018 26 Sep 2019 Brazil27 Sep 2018 Chile13 Jun 2022 aColombia11 Dec 2019 Costa Rica27 Sep 2018 Dominica26 Sep 2020 22 Apr 2024 Dominican Republic27 Sep 2018 Ecuador27 Sep 2018 21 May 2020 Grenada26 Sep 2019 20 Mar 2023 Guatemala<superscript>1</superscript>27 Sep 2018 Guyana27 Sep 2018 18 Apr 2019 Haiti27 Sep 2018 Jamaica26 Sep 2019 Mexico27 Sep 2018 22 Jan 2021 Nicaragua27 Sep 2019 9 Mar 2020 Panama27 Sep 2018 10 Mar 2020 Paraguay28 Sep 2018 Peru27 Sep 2018 St. Kitts and Nevis26 Sep 2019 26 Sep 2019 St. Lucia27 Sep 2018 1 Dec 2020 St. Vincent and the Grenadines12 Jul 2019 26 Sep 2019 Uruguay27 Sep 2018 26 Sep 2019
ChileInterpretative declarations:1. The Republic of Chile declares that, in accordance with article 4, paragraph 3, the requirements set out in the Agreement are addressed, to a significant degree, in Chilean law, in particular in Law No. 19.300 on the general environmental framework; Law No. 20.500 on associations and community participation in public administration; Law No. 20.285 on access to public information; and Law No. 20.600 establishing environmental courts, among others.2. The Republic of Chile declares that article 11, paragraph 2, shall be understood as referring to cooperation within the ambit of the Agreement for the purposes of implementing it in the countries in question.3. The Republic of Chile declares that it shall, in line with article 13, to the extent of its ability and in accordance with its national priorities, carry out the national activities that are needed to fulfil the obligations derived from the Agreement, in particular in relation to articles 5, 6, 7 and 8, using whichever means it deems appropriate.4. The Republic of Chile declares that, unless and until it declares otherwise in writing, it does not accept as compulsory the means of dispute settlement indicated in article 19, paragraph 2, for a dispute not resolved in accordance with paragraph 1 of that article.1In a communication received on 20 December 2022, the Government of Guatemala informed the Secretary-General of the following: I have the honour to write to you in reference to the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, also known as the Escazú Agreement, adopted in Escazú on 4 March 2018 and signed by the Republic of Guatemala on 27 September 2018. The Republic of Guatemala officially informs you, as depositary of the Escazú Agreement, that it does not intend to become a party to the Agreement. Its signing of the Agreement shall not, therefore, give rise to any legal obligations for the Republic of Guatemala, in accordance with international law.