Summary
On December 11, 2024, a bill to recognize Colombia’s Putumayo River as an entity with rights was filed in the House of Representatives. The purpose of this Law is to recognize the Putumayo River, its basin, and tributaries as an entity subject to rights, in order to guarantee its safeguarding, protection, conservation, maintenance, and restoration. These responsibilities will fall upon the State and the ethnic and rural communities living within its area of influence.
In April 2025, the United Nations Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and
other business enterprises visited Colombia from July 29– August 9, 2024. In their official report to the General Assembly published on April 25, 2025, the Working Group made the recommendation to “(j) Protect rivers that are fundamental for ecosystems and livelihoods, such as the Putumayo River, recognizing them as subjects of rights, as in the cases of the Atrato River and the Cauca River, and extend priority protection to páramo highland areas, dry, tropical and wet forests and the Amazon rainforest, among others” (pg. 16).
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Alex Putzer, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2025. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor.https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/colombia-law-on-the-rights-of-the-putumayo-river/.
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