IUCN World Conservation Congress Resolution 056: advancing an ethical human-ocean relationship

Summary

In October 2025, IUCN Motion 056: Advancing an Ethical Human–Ocean Relationship was submitted to and approved by the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 at its session in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The IUCN is one of the most influential conservation bodies globally, bringing together over 1,400 Members, including governments, NGOs, and Indigenous peoples’ organizations. Its World Conservation Congress serves as a critical venue for adopting motions that can influence global environmental policy and practice. Once adopted, IUCN Resolutions become official policy, often informing national legislation, international negotiations, and conservation strategies.

Jurisprudential Framing
The motion notes that the Ocean is a living entity with inherent rights and intrinsic value worthy of respect and protection regardless of its utility to humankind. It reiterates that diverse value systems exist regarding the Human-Ocean relationship, and all should be considered in decision making affecting its health. The motion seeks to operationalize these values within Ocean governance, responding to a gap in rights-based recognition for marine ecosystems—currently reflected in only about 15% of Rights of Nature initiatives globally. The motion urges Members and Governments to promote and adopt laws and policies that ensure the conservation of the Ocean’s intrinsic values, engage in dialogue to discuss and adopt an ethical framework for global Ocean governance, promote and respect Indigenous Peoples rights, worldviews and traditional knowledge and establish the principle of ecological sustainability in Ocean governance.

Background
Motion 056 builds on more than a decade of IUCN commitments to the Rights of Nature, specifically IUCN Resolution 5.100 Incorporation of the Rights of Nature as the organizational focal point in IUCN’s decision making (Jeju, 2012) and IUCN Resolution 6.081 Humanity’s right to a healthy environment (Hawaii 2016), which proclaims that all living beings have the right to the conservation, protection and restoration of the health and integrity of ecosystems. It also recalls the UNESCO Venice Declaration for Ocean Literacy Action, which calls for an ocean-literate society that advocates for policies that respect the ocean’s inherent right to exist, flourish and regenerate.

The motion was drafted by Ocean Vision Legal with the support of the Ministry of the Environment of the Republic of Panama, and was sponsored by The Gallifrey Foundation, and co-sponsored by Ministerio de Ambiente, Panama (Panama), Ministry of Climate Change, Meteorology, Natural Disaster, Environment and Energy (Vanuatu), Stop Ecocide International Ltd (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), SHARKPROJECT Germany e.V. (Germany), Association Les Eco Maires (France), Fundación Charles Darwin para las Islas Galápagos (Ecuador), OMCAR Foundation (India), Sharkproject Austria, Earth Law Center), and The WILD Foundation.

Impact Statement

In a historic milestone for Earth law and global conservation, five Rights of Nature motions, and one motion recognizing the crime of ecocide, officially passed at the 2025 IUCN World Conservation Congress. This development demonstrates that the global conservation community is normatively embracing a paradigm shift from managing Nature as a resource to recognizing ecosystems as rights-bearing entities.

Involved Organizations

Related Initiatives