Open letter to the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs on Escazú Agreement

Global Witness and 144 NGOs have called on Brazil's Foreign Minister, Mauro Vieira, to ratify the Escazú Agreement. The letter argues that ratification is essential to protect land and environmental defenders, particularly in the Brazilian Amazon, where Global Witness reports the highest number of defender deaths globally between 2012 and 2021. The agreement aims to guarantee access to environmental information, public participation in decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters across Latin America and the Caribbean.

• Brazil has signed the Escazú Agreement but has not yet sent it to Congress for approval or to President Lula for ratification, which is required to make the treaty binding.
• Between 2012 and 2021, Brazil had the highest number of land and environment defender deaths globally, totaling 342 people, followed by Colombia with 322.
• Violence against defenders in Brazil is concentrated in the Amazon and among specific demographics; over 85% of killings occurred in the Brazilian Amazon, and approximately one third of those killed were Afro-descendants or Indigenous.
• The Escazú Agreement is the first binding treaty with specific commitments for states to ensure a safe environment for environmental human rights defenders, including the investigation and punishment of threats and attacks.

APA

Global Witness (n.d.). Open letter to the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs on Escazú Agreement. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/land-and-environmental-defenders/open-letter-to-the-brazilian-minister-of-foreign-affairs-on-escaz%C3%BA-agreement/

Chicago

Global Witness. Open letter to the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs on Escazú Agreement. n.d. https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/land-and-environmental-defenders/open-letter-to-the-brazilian-minister-of-foreign-affairs-on-escaz%C3%BA-agreement/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Global Witness |title=Open letter to the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs on Escazú Agreement |url=https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/land-and-environmental-defenders/open-letter-to-the-brazilian-minister-of-foreign-affairs-on-escaz%C3%BA-agreement/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{globalwitnessndopen, author = {{Global Witness}}, title = {{Open letter to the Brazilian Minister of Foreign Affairs on Escazú Agreement}}, publisher = {Global Witness}, url = {https://globalwitness.org/en/campaigns/land-and-environmental-defenders/open-letter-to-the-brazilian-minister-of-foreign-affairs-on-escaz%C3%BA-agreement/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }