Foreword .-- Introduction .-- Part 1. Social policy institutions. -- Chapter I. Institutional framework for social development / Rodrigo Martínez, Carlos Maldonado Valera .-- Chapter II. Social development and social protection institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean: overview and challenges / Rodrigo Martínez, Carlos Maldonado Valera .-- Part 2. Components and institutional framewoek of social protection. -- Chapter III. Labour market regulation and social protection: institutional challenges / Mario D. Velásquez Pinto .-- Chapter IV. Institutional aspects of Latin America's pension systems / Andras Uthoff .-- Chapter V. Care as a pillar of social protection: rights, policies and institutions in Latin America / María Nieves Rico, Claudia Robles .-- Part 3. Policies for specific populations and their institutional framework .-- Chapter VI. Life cycle and social policies: youth institutions in the region / Daniela Trucco .-- Chapter VII. Disability and public policy: institutional progress and challenges in Latin America / Heidi Ullmann .-- Chapter VIII. Latin American Afrodescendants: institutional framework and public policies / Marta Rangel.

On 5 November 2020 Mexico ratified the socalled Escazú Agreement, a treaty between Latin American and Caribbean states on establishing regional transparency and environment standards, as the eleventh country to do so. The prescribed quorum of ratifications has thus been attained, and the agreement can come into force in 2021. This will launch an innovative multilateral instrument that is intended to create more citizen participation and improve the assertion of citizens' rights in environmental matters. In Latin America, economic interests dominate when it comes to the exploitation of raw materials; furthermore, there is a large number of conflicts over resources. The agreement thus offers affected indigenous tribes and humanrights defenders more opportunities for information, participation and access to the justice system in environmental matters. Despite this binding first step, some leading countries in the region have so far failed to ratify the agreement. Many of them are reluctant to join, arguing that certain provisions violate their national sovereignty and their freedom of decision. For Germany and Europe, the agreement offers new leverage for drafting supply chain laws.

The First Annual Forum on Human Rights Defenders in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean was held in Quito on 22 and 23 November 2022. The Forum was convened by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in its capacity as Secretariat of the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean (Escazú Agreement), in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Government of Ecuador, and it was supported by the Human Rights, Inclusion and Empowerment trust fund of the World Bank.The purpose of the Forum was to create a space for reflection and dialogue on the situation of human rights defenders in environmental matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, bringing together the Parties to the Escazú Agreement, recognized specialists on the subject and the public in general, especially human rights defenders, Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and individual and groups of environmental defenders in vulnerable situations.To this end, the Forum focused mainly on the following topics: The situation and challenges experienced by human rights defenders in environmental matters in Latin America and the Caribbean and testimonies of defenders. Experiences and good practices in promoting the rights of environmental defenders. Mechanisms for the protection of defenders within the framework of the Escazú Agreement and specific contents of article 9. An initial discussion on the preparation of the action plan on defenders of the Escazú Agreement.This document contains the official report of the First Annual Forum and summarizes the various panels, discussions and presentations. It also contains a systematization of the proposals made by the breakout groups during the proceedings, which will serve as input for the preparation of the action plan on human rights defenders of the Escazú Agreement.