São Paulo, 11 April 2025

The Escazú Agreement was highlighted as a cornerstone for advancing responsible business conduct in Latin America and the Caribbean during the 9th United Nations Regional Forum on Business and Human Rights, held from 9 to 11 April 2025 in São Paulo, Brazil. Its relevance was particularly emphasized in discussions concerning environmental protection and the rights of human rights defenders.

Bringing together more than 600 participants from across the region — including government officials, business representatives, Indigenous Peoples, civil society organizations, academia, and international bodies — the Forum served as a dynamic space for dialogue on key issues such as business due diligence, sustainable development, environmental governance, and the challenges faced by those defending human rights.

In this context, the Secretariat of the Escazú Agreement played an active role in promoting the Agreement as a strategic instrument for corporate engagement. A standout moment was the interactive session titled “Towards the mainstreaming of the gender perspective in the Escazú Agreement: the role of business”, which brought together over 60 representatives from the private sector, civil society, academia, and government institutions. The session raised awareness of the private sector’s role in the effective implementation of the Agreement.

Through a participatory methodology, the session underscored progress achieved and opened new opportunities to strengthen implementation from a business perspective. Participants stressed the importance of meaningfully integrating gender considerations into corporate policies and the urgent need to establish targeted protocols for the protection of environmental human rights defenders. Among the good practices presented was a case from a mining company in Chile, which developed territorial tools with gender-sensitive indicators and a socio-territorial early warning system — showcasing how businesses can help prevent socio-environmental conflicts and put the principles of the Agreement into practice.

A key message emerging from the Forum was the broad recognition that business enterprises are critical actors in the implementation of the Escazú Agreement, particularly in ensuring access to environmental information, fostering public participation, and safeguarding human rights defenders.