; Whereas the United States Agency for International Development has developed programs to reduce environmental crimes and other threats to the Amazon’s forests, waters, and peoples throughout Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Suriname; Whereas all Latin American and Caribbean countries have ratified the decision by the 21st Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, adopted at Paris December 12, 2015 (commonly known as the Paris Climate Agreement ), which states, Parties should, when taking action to address climate change, respect, promote, and consider their respective obligations on human rights, the right to health, the rights of indigenous peoples, local communities, migrants, children, persons with disabilities and people in vulnerable situations ; Whereas 15 countries in Latin America ratified the Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169) of the International Labor Organization, establishing the rights of Indigenous people to land, natural resources, and prior consultation on projects affecting their communities, although many such countries have consistently failed to respect these legally binding standards; Whereas 25 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean have signed, and 14 of these 25 countries have ratified, the Regional Agreement on Access to Information, Public Participation and Justice in Environmental Matters in Latin America and the Caribbean, adopted at Escazú, Costa Rica March 4, 2018 (commonly known as the Escazú Agreement ), to ensure the protection of environmental defenders across the region