BASSETERRE, St  Kitts, (CMC) –  Prime Minister Dr Terrance Drew says the Third Forum on Human Rights Defenders in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, which is being held in an English-speaking Caribbean country, represents more than a meeting of minds, but rather, a meeting of purpose.

“It is a powerful signal that the struggle for environmental justice and the defence of human rights know no borders, and that our small islands, with our proud histories and resilient people, have a meaningful role to play on the global stage,” he told the opening ceremony.

Prime Minister Drew told delegates that environmental degradation, climate change, and biodiversity loss are not abstract concepts but lived realities for communities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“Our communities are on the front lines. Our homes are vulnerable, our ecosystems, once thriving, now struggle under the weight of pollution and exploitation. And yet, amid these challenges, there is hope.

“That hope lies in the courage and determination of our environmental defenders. Those persons often working in silence and too often at great personal risk stand as the first line of defence between our natural world and those who would exploit it for short-term gain,” he added.

He told the conference of his country’s own experiences and its Sustainable Island State Agenda.

“The preservation of our rivers and reefs, the protection of our mangroves and marine life, are not just environmental objectives. They are national priorities and human rights issues at their core,” he argued.

Prime Minister Drew said his country is committed to the Escazú Agreement, the first legally binding treaty to protect environmental defenders, emphasising its role as a beacon of transparency, inclusion, and justice.

The Escazú Agreement, officially the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, is a landmark treaty guaranteeing environmental rights, including access to information, public participation, and access to justice in environmental matters, particularly for vulnerable groups and environmental defenders.

Prime Minister Drew said that conference here is an important step forward in the global effort to protect those who defend our environment and defend human rights.

The meeting, which ends on Friday, will discuss a wide range of issues including the challenges and risks faced by human rights defenders in environmental matters: views, experiences and responses from Latin America and the Caribbean as well as international and national instruments and mechanisms related to prevention, protection and punishment.