Summary
In June 2019, the State of Colima in Mexico adopted a constitutional amendment incorporating the rights of nature into the State Constitution. The country of Mexico is composed of 32 federal entities: 31 states and Mexico City, an autonomous entity. The states of Mexico are autonomous in all matters concerning their internal affairs, and each state has its own congress and constitution.
The constitutional amendment establishes that nature, including all ecosystems and species, is a collective entity with fundamental rights. Nature’s rights include the right to exist, to restoration, to the regeneration of its natural cycles, and to the conservation of its ecological structure and functions. The constitutional amendment also establishes that the protection, preservation, and recovery of biodiversity, natural ecosystems, genetic heritage, and native species are a joint responsibility of the public, private, and social sectors.
The initiative was approved by the Congress of the State of Colima. It then required a majority vote from all of Colima’s municipal councils, who unanimously approved the amendment. The State of Colima was provided expert support by organizations, El Deber es Nuestro, Empoderamiento Climático, and Earth Law Center, who helped prepare, strengthen, and refine the proposal, according to a Colima spokesperson.
Colima joins the Mexican governments of Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Mexico City, that have legally recognized the Rights of Nature.