O ACORDO DE ESCAZU 2018: AS NOVIDADES INTRODUZIDAS PELO ACORDO, RUMO A UMA DEMOCRACIA AMBIENTAL NA AMERICA LATINA E NO CARIBE E O IMPACTO DA COVID-19 NO PROCESSO DE RATIFICAÇÃO

This article compares the 1998 UNECE Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters, and the 2018 ECLAC Escazú Agreement on Access to Information, Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean. The context of the Escazú Agreement and the development of its negotiation are outlined in the first part; the second part is a comparative analysis of the two texts, which illustrates the structure of the two conventions, the notion of democracy and the substantial right to a healthy environment. In the third part, an analysis will be carried out of the three pillars recognized in both documents pointing out the similarities, the differences between Aarhus and Escazú and the legal advances in the Escazú Agreement. Finally, the article will present the current situation after two years of the signing of the Agreement and the impact of the COVID-19 on the ratifications process. This paper was written from a qualitative research, with theoretical and normative profile, adopting the theoretical guidelines of Environmental Democracy, and using as research techniques documental analysis and bibliographical review.