The Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Escazú Agreement) was adopted in Escazú, Costa Rica, on 4 March 2018, and entered into force on 22 April 2021.

The first meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Escazú Agreement took place on April 20 to 22, 2022, at the ECLAC headquarters in Santiago. At the meeting, the States Parties approved a Political Declaration reaffirming the treaty as a driving force for sustainable development and a fundamental governance tool to improve public policies in the region. Likewise, they adopted six decisions, among them, the rules of procedure of the Conference of the Parties, including the modalities for significant participation of the public (article 15.4a)  and the rules relating to the structure and functions of the Committee to Support Implementation and Compliance (article 18.1). In addition, the Conference elected the Presiding Officers and agreed to hold an extraordinary meeting in 2023 in Argentina and an ordinary meeting in 2024.

At the second meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the Escazú Agreement, extraordinary, the States Parties approved a Political Declaration (Declaration of Buenos Aires), which highlighted the importance of access rights in environmental matters to promote the human rights and sustainable development, emphasized the need for support to implement the Agreement, celebrated the creation of a Voluntary Contributions Fund, and the countries committed to continue working on key issues that will be addressed at the Third Meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP 3). Likewise, they adopted Decision II/1, which elected the members of the Committee to Support Implementation and Compliance, a subsidiary body of the Conference of the Parties whose purpose is to promote implementation and support the Parties.

The third meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Escazú Agreement approved the Action Plan on Human Rights Defenders in Environmental Matters, which outlines priority areas and strategic actions. In addition, the COP urged the Parties to continue advancing toward the full and effective implementation of the Agreement and invited them to develop plans and roadmaps to that end. The COP also approved a decision to integrate and strengthen the gender perspective in matters related to the Escazú Agreement. 

The fourth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Escazú Agreement aims to follow up on the decisions of the Third Meeting of the Conference of the Parties and make progress on other matters of the Agreement. To advance the debate on the agenda items for the meeting, a virtual preparatory meeting has been organised for March 4, 2026 (Pre-COP).