On the occasion of Peru’s 200th independence anniversary and the arrival of the new President-elect, IRI Peru’s national facilitator, Laura Vargas, published an editorial in the national newspaper “El Comercio”, The editorial lays out the urgent environmental challenges that need to be addressed by the new government. Through the lens of protecting and restoring forests, she addresses three main points: the climate, health and the loss of biodiversity. The editorial proposes a solution in line with the United Nations Decade for Ecosystem Restoration – to implement reforestation programs that drive sustainable economic recovery. The piece also argues for stronger emphasis on addressing climate change in the country, as well as the safety of human rights defenders – in particular Amazonian indigenous communities – through the ratification of the Escazú Agreement in the Congress of the Republic. Read the full article here.