Escazú Agreement is presented at Regional Seminar for Parliaments of the Caribbean

The Inter-Parliamentary Union and the National Assembly of Suriname organized a Regional Seminar on climate change and disaster risk reduction for Parliaments of the Caribbean on 5 and 6 November 2018 in Paramaribo, Suriname.

Parliamentarians from the Caribbean discussed the challenges, opportunities and response actions to climate change of countries of the region as well as the international commitments and the role of national legislators in combatting climate change and enhancing disaster preparedness and reduction.

In its capacity as Technical Secretariat, UN ECLAC presented the Escazú Agreement as a key instrument for climate action and governance in the region. It likewise emphasized the role of parliamentarians in the domestic ratification process and their responsibility in translating regional commitments into national law and policies.

Representatives of 10 Caribbean countries and territories were in attendance, including the Speakers of the Parliaments of Barbados, Dominica, Guyana, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Suriname and parliamentarians from Cuba, Jamaica and Saint Lucia.