Declaration for Protection of Sacred Natural Sites

Summary

On 21 January 2020, the ASSEGAIA Alliance launched its Declaration for the Protection of Sacred Natural Sites at the 2020 World Economic Forum. The Declaration establishes four articles to protect life on Earth. These include the protection of Sacred Natural Sites, legal recognition of the rights of nature, the creation of ecocentric law, and ecological sustainability being dependent on preserving and protecting Sacred Natural Sites.

The Declaration offers a new template for preserving the integrity and health of Sacred Natural Sites. In particular, the template proposes a “no-go” zone at the center of the scared site, and a buffer zone surrounding it that allows ecologically sensitive activities, such as regenerative agriculture, connective experiences with Nature, and educational heritage centers. These permitted activities are guided by the biocultural rights of Spiritual Guardians (both human and/or sacred animals) whose purpose it is to protect, conserve, maintain, and restore Sacred Natural Sites.

The declaration calls on governments, the United Nations, international organizations, and private sector companies to adopt these provisions.

The Declaration was drafted by ASSEGAIA in 2019. ASSEGAIA is an international Specialist Group of scientific, legal, indigenous, environmental and human rights experts and organizations, who recognize that protection of Earth’s Sacred Natural Sites represents the key to planetary restoration. The purpose of the Alliance is to identify Sacred Natural Sites globally needing urgent protection and fast-track their protective status through application of international rights of nature. Since its founding in 2019, ASSEGAIA has advanced global legislative processes to protect its two founding Sacred Natural Sites under the Protected Areas Act of local legislature in South Africa.

Involved Organizations