Plenary Conference attended
December 18, 2014
14:00 – 18:00
Palais des Nations, Hall XXV
Geneva

What about projects around the Rights of Nature ?

A presentation of Existing and Emerging Projects incorporating Rights of Nature and a Panel offering Tools to Reflect and Decide.

Video Registration of the Presentations

Total of Participants and Speakers : 80 persons attended

Following Countries were represented :

• 17 Governments officially represented by their Permanent Representation to the United Nations, came assist to the Conference (by alphabetic order) :
  • Afghanistan
  • Austria
  • Bhutan
  • Bolivia
  • Brazil
  • Costa Rica
  • Cuba
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • Ethiopia
  • Germany
  • Kazakhstan
  • Mexico
  • Peru
  • Russia
  • Slovenia
  • Yemen

• 36 Countries represented by their citizen, active in the professionnal domain of the Conference (Speakers and Participants) :
  • Algeria
  • Angola
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Benin
  • Bolivia
  • Canada
  • Cape Verde
  • Congo, Democratic Republic of
  • Côte d’Ivoire
  • Cuba
  • Ecuador
  • Egypt
  • France
  • Germany
  • Ghana
  • Hungary
  • Indonesia
  • Italy
  • Kyrgyzstan
  • Latvia
  • Lebanon
  • Luxembourg
  • Mexico
  • Monaco
  • Morocco
  • Netherlands
  • Northern Ireland
  • Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie
  • Peru
  • Romania
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Tunisia
  • United Kingdom
  • Yemen

Detailled Programme

Organizer : NGO Objectif Sciences International, Geneva
Animator : Thomas EGLI, President of the NGO Objectif Sciences International
Co-animators, one Government and one Epistemologist : M. Luis ESPINOSA SALAS, First Counsellor of the Permanent Representation of Ecuador to United Nations of Geneva, Mme Christa MUTH, Phd of Education, Systemician, Professor at Haute Ecole Supérieure du Canton de Vaud

14:00 – Opening the Conference

14:00
Welcoming and Hosting

14:30 - Introduction

14:30 - 15’
Welcome
Recall of the concepts that have been covered in previous sessions of January 2013 GENEVA FORUM and January 2014 GENEVA FORUM, attended in CICG
Thomas EGLI, President of the NGO Objectif Sciences International

14:45 - Part 1 : A presentation of Existing and Emerging Projects around the Rights of Nature

14:45 - 10’
A quick but necessary overview of existing and emerging Petitions throughout the World which incorporate the Rights of Nature
An overview of what the current ecological situation is and why Rights of Nature is needed. What campaigns are currently being implemented and what results have been achieved to date where Rights of Nature has been successfully applied.
Doris RAGETTLI and Gil HILLEARD, Rights of Mother Earth

14:55 - 10’
The Bolivian Rights of Mother Earth project, Cochabamba 2010
A short come back about the proposal for a Universal Declaration of The Rights of Mother Earth adopted on 22 April 2010 at the World People’s Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth held at Cochabamba, in Bolivia
Michèle PERRIN-TAILLAT, member of Rights of Mother Earth and ECI Rights of Nature

15:05 - 15’
Questions and Debates with the assembly

15:20 - 10’
Presentation of the worldwide new campaign for International Justice for the Earth ; Ecocide, the missing Crime Against Peace
Humanity is facing a crossroads. Evidence shows that Earth has reached a ‘tipping point’; scientists warn that population growth, widespread destruction of natural ecosystems, as well as climate change may be driving Earth towards an irreversible change of its biosphere, implicating consequences for which we lack adequate preparation, mitigation and adaptation options. Our current legal framework does not possess the necessary tools to stop the widespread degradation of ecosystems caused by dangerous industrial activity. New tools are needed to safeguard our all and in particular future generations’ right to a healthy environment. One such tool would be the inclusion of a crime of ecocide as international Crime against Peace within the Statute of the International Criminal Court.
Thomas EITZENBERGER, Campaign manager, End Ecocide on Earth

15:30 - 10’
The European Citizens Initiative to European Commission for the Rights of Nature, a Campaign scheduled for 2016-2017
In the past 40 years alone we have extinguished 50% of all biodiversity - this is because our current system of environmental law legitimises it. If we are to reverse the trend, we need systemic transformation - a fundamentally new form of environmental governance. This talk will cover how environmental law currently operates and why rights of nature is such a game changer; the draft proposals for the European Citizens Initiative, local and national initiatives and timeline.
Mumta ITO, Founder, International Centre for Wholistic Law and initiator of the ECI for the Rights of Nature

15:40 - 15’
Questions and Debates with the assembly

16:00 - Interlude

Two examples of European Ecocides with Pictures

16:00 - 10’
Survival of Human and Natural Eco systems? The water breakpoint : Ecocide of El Rio de Aguas, situated in Andalucia, Spain
David DENE, member of the ECI Rights of Nature

16:10 - 10’
Ecocide of Rosia Montana, the largest open cast gold mine in Europe, using cyanide, situated in Transylvania, Romania
Alexandra POSTELNICU, member of the ECI Rights of Nature

16:20 - 10’
Questions and Debates with the assembly

16:30 - Part 2 : Tools to Reflect and Decide

16:30 - 10’
Learning, sharing and acting for the Rights of Nature
With many years of experience raising awareness to Sustainable Development and all it entails, and future being communication, Earth Focus Foundation is building a platform to encourage the love and respect of Nature for young people of all ages, Respect Rights, Share responsibilities and support laws such as Ecocide.
Nicola SPAFFORD FUREY, Vice President - Earth Focus Foundation

16:40 - 10’
The Human Being, will he React, or is he Reacting Now?
Dealing with emergencies of survival, issues of the inability of humans to respond, ethical emergencies, justices criteria, which generation will be responsible? Presentation of the ethical dialogue concerning the climate emergency to illustrate the fundamental issues that the Rights of Nature bring to the forefront of debate.
Prof. François DERMANGE, Professor of Ethics, University of Geneva

16:50 - 15’
Questions and Debates with the assembly

17:05 - 10’
Rights of Nature or Duties to Nature : A legal-linguistic viewpoint
The concept of vesting rights in nature is controversial and frequently elicits rejection. However, that may be not the best response. Current realities of climate change and loss of species invite innovation and the search for new approaches. This short personal presentation explores technical implementation of nature rights from a legal-linguistic perspective. It places a view on the national, supranational and international contexts as theaters for legal action. The European Citizens’ Initiative to be presented for The Rights of Nature finds its place within this environment.
Colin Robertson, Lawyer-linguist

17:15 - 10’
Economies for Life
In order to be in alignment with the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth, what kind of economic system would we need to adopt?
Lisa Mead, Executive Director, Earth Law Alliance

17:25 - 15’
Questions and Debates with the assembly

17:30 - Round Table with the Assembly

17:30 - 20’
General Questions and Debates with the assembly

17:50 - Conclusion

17:50 - 10’
Important technical information for the assembly
Thomas EGLI, President of the NGO Objectif Sciences International

18:00 – Closure of the Conference