Summary
On December 11, 2024, a bill was filed in the House of Representatives of Colombia’s National Congress to recognize the Putumayo River as an entity with rights and establish measures for its safeguarding, protection, and conservation. The bill states these responsibilities will fall upon the State and the ethnic and rural communities living within its area of influence.
Earlier in July 29 – August 9, 2024, the United Nations Working Group on human rights and transnational corporations visited Colombia to investigate the Putumayo River and other river regions in the country. The Working Group’s report to the General Assembly published on April 25, 2025, 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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