International Rights of Nature Tribunal, 2nd Regional Hearing: Europe 2021

Summary

In 2021, the European Hub of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN) held a European Citizens’ Tribunal for the Rights of Nature, serving as a regional tribunal of the International Tribunal for the Rights of Nature organization. The European Tribunal focused on the Rights of Aquatic Ecosystems. The Tribunal was presided over by a panel of experienced Rights of Nature judges from around the world. Judges heard five critical aquatic ecosystem cases: 1) Glacier Case (Europe), 2) River Pollution Case (French Guiana), 3) Lake Vättern Case (Sweden), 4) Hydroelectric Dams Case (Balkans), and 5) Mediterranean Sea Case. The five cases were brought by frontline, impacted communities and experts from across Europe. The citizens’ tribunal is intended to bring maximum visibility to these key struggles to protect Europe’s critical waterways and aquatic ecosystems, and to offer legal rulings and precedence that European communities can utilize to advance their fight to secure protection and restoration to these water systems. It serves as a model for how courts could operate under rights of nature laws, specifically the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth. Each verdict recognized that rights of nature were violated and called upon various agencies to recognize rights of nature.

Involved Organizations