Survey of the preliminary proposal for an Annotated Index . Guide for the mainstreaming of the gender perspective in the implementation of the Escazú Agreement

I. Background

Recognizing the importance of continuing to advance gender equality to achieve the full and effective implementation of the Escazú Agreement, during the Third Meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Agreement, Decision III/4 was adopted. This decision requests that ECLAC, “with the support of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, as well as other agencies, funds, and programs of the United Nations system, prepare a guide for mainstreaming the gender perspective in the implementation of the Escazú Agreement and present it at the next ordinary meeting of the Conference of the Parties.”

Accordingly, the Secretariat has initiated a participatory process for its development. As a first step, a virtual questionnaire was designed and implemented to collect information on gaps, challenges, and measures for mainstreaming the gender perspective in access rights to information, public participation, justice in environmental matters, and environmental protection. The questionnaire was available from January 3 to February 14, 2025, for States Parties, United Nations System agencies, and the general public.

Based on the results of this consultation and a review of best practices, a draft annotated index of the guide for mainstreaming the gender perspective in the implementation of the Escazú Agreement is now being submitted for consultation. This proposal will also be discussed in an in-person consultation during the workshop of the Third Forum on Human Rights Defenders in Environmental Matters.

After gathering feedback and comments from both virtual and in-person consultations, a draft guide will be developed and submitted for another round of virtual consultation.

A key challenge is ensuring that the actions of the Escazú Agreement contribute to gender equality and enable women to fully exercise their access rights in environmental matters and their role in environmental protection.

The annotated index proposal under consultation links the structural roots of inequality[1] with access rights and the role of women in environmental protection, with a specific focus on the realities of Latin America and the Caribbean. Additionally, specific measures are proposed for each right established in the Agreement, based on the findings from the first phase of the consultation.

III. Objectives

Recognizing the structural roots of inequality and their impact on the exercise of access rights and environmental protection, the consultation on the annotated index aims to:

1. Evaluate the clarity, relevance, diversity, and ambition of the proposed annotated index.
2. Deepen the understanding of the barriers women face in exercising their access rights and their role in environmental protection, considering respondents experiences.
3. Expand and refine the suggested measures in the annotated index, as well as gather additional initiatives.
4. Identify possible gaps or aspects not addressed in the proposal.

IV. Timeline

The questionnaire will be available from April 2 to June 2, 2025.

[1] Montevideo Strategy for the Implementation of the Regional Gender Agenda in the Framework of Sustainable Development towards 2030, 2017, ECLAC. Available in: https://www.cepal.org/es/publicaciones/41011-estrategia-montevideo-la-implementacion-la-agenda-regional-genero-marco.