Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature

Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature
Name	Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature
Founded	2008
Founders	Ecuadorian Pachamama Alliance; Friends of the Earth International; Earth Law Center
Location	Quito, Ecuador (founding); international
Focus	Rights of Nature, environmental law, indigenous rights
Methods	Advocacy, litigation, policy drafting, education

Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature The Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature is an international coalition advocating legal recognition of nature's intrinsic rights, inspired by movements in Ecuador, Bolivia, New Zealand, United States, and India. It links environmental activists, indigenous leaders from Amazon rainforest nations, legal scholars from Columbia University, litigators affiliated with International Union for Conservation of Nature, and NGOs such as Greenpeace and Sierra Club to advance statutory and constitutional protections modeled after landmark measures including the Constitution of Ecuador (2008), the Lake Erie Bill of Rights, and the Whanganui River legal personhood recognition.

History

Formed after transnational dialogues involving delegations from Ecuador, Bolivia, Nepal, New Zealand, and Uganda, the Alliance emerged in the context of campaigns following the Constitution of Ecuador (2008) and the Law of Rights of Mother Nature (Bolivia, 2010), drawing on precedents like the Endangered Species Act debates and court actions such as Juliana v. United States. Early conferences convened representatives from Pachamama Alliance, Friends of the Earth International, The Pachamama Movement, and academics connected to Harvard Law School and Yale School of the Environment. The Alliance coordinated drafting workshops that influenced municipal ordinances in Toledo, Ohio, the Cochabamba water rights movement, and the recognition of the Whanganui River in New Zealand.

Mission and Objectives

The Alliance's mission aligns with legal recognition campaigns seen in the Constitution of Ecuador (2008), the Law of Rights of Mother Nature (Bolivia, 2010), and litigation strategies used in cases like Juliana v. United States; it seeks to secure rights for ecosystems analogous to rights recognized under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the principles debated at the Rio Earth Summit (1992). Core objectives include drafting model statutes influenced by the Nagoya Protocol, supporting strategic litigation similar to actions before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and assisting indigenous communities associated with organizations such as COICA and the World Bank-engaged projects to assert rights in national courts like those in India and Colombia.

Organizational Structure and Governance

The Alliance maintains a coordinating council composed of representatives from partner NGOs including Friends of the Earth International, legal institutions like the Earth Law Center, and indigenous federations such as CONFENIAE. Governance is informed by assemblies modeled on mechanisms from COP (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change), with advisory committees populated by academics from Columbia University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, and practitioners formerly affiliated with bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Financial and administrative practices draw on grant relationships similar to those used by Ford Foundation, Open Society Foundations, and project partnerships with agencies like the United Nations Environment Programme.

Programs and Campaigns

Programs include legislative drafting clinics inspired by precedents in the Constitution of Ecuador (2008), capacity-building workshops for indigenous allies mirroring training offered by Survival International and Cultural Survival, and strategic litigation support comparable to interventions in Juliana v. United States and cases before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Campaigns have targeted corporate practices linked to Chevron Corporation litigation histories, extractive projects financed by institutions similar to the World Bank, and municipal ordinances like the Toledo, Ohio rights-of-nature initiative. Educational initiatives collaborate with universities such as Yale University and Harvard University and with media partners including BBC and The Guardian to publicize rulings like the Whanganui River recognition.

Key Legal and Policy Initiatives

Key initiatives include promoting constitutional amendments patterned after the Constitution of Ecuador (2008), supporting national statutes influenced by the Law of Rights of Mother Nature (Bolivia, 2010), and advancing personhood claims modeled on the legal personality granted to the Whanganui River. The Alliance provides amicus briefs in cases similar to Juliana v. United States and submissions to international bodies such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations Human Rights Council, drawing on comparative jurisprudence from jurisdictions including New Zealand, India (notably river rights jurisprudence), and municipal ordinances from United States localities.

Partnerships and Membership

Membership comprises NGOs like Friends of the Earth International, legal centers such as the Earth Law Center, indigenous federations including COICA and CONFENIAE, academic partners from Columbia Law School, University of Oxford, and civil society networks such as Global Witness and Amnesty International affiliates engaged in environmental justice. The Alliance networks with UN agencies like the United Nations Environment Programme and donor organizations such as the Ford Foundation and Open Society Foundations to coordinate transnational campaigns and technical assistance to legislatures in Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, and Nepal.

Criticism and Controversies

Critics from legal academia including scholars at Harvard Law School and Yale Law School argue that rights-of-nature frameworks conflict with established doctrines like property law precedents and regulatory schemes influenced by the World Trade Organization and international investment arbitration seen in disputes involving ICSID. Industry groups and trade associations, and some national governments that reference decisions from courts such as the United States Supreme Court and tribunals under International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes have raised concerns about economic impacts similar to debates around the Endangered Species Act implementation. Debate continues within indigenous movements represented by COICA and others about approaches to sovereignty and collaborative governance in contexts touched by projects like those financed by the World Bank.

Category:Environmental organizations Category:Indigenous rights organizations Category:International non-governmental organizations