Summary
On 11 January 2017, Mexico City (formerly the federal district) adopted a new constitution recognizing nature and all its ecosystems and species as a collective entity subject to rights.
The constitution asserts that “the right to the preservation and protection of nature will be guaranteed by the authorities of Mexico City” and requires that “a secondary law shall be issued to recognize and regulate the broader protection of the rights of nature formed by all its ecosystems and species as a collective entity subject to rights.” The constitution also provides the recognition of ontological relations of communities with nature, and citizens of Mexico City will be able to enforce fundamental rights on behalf of nature.
Background
Political reforms in 2016 resulted in Mexico City ceasing to be the Federal District and officially transitioning to Ciudad de México (CDMX), becoming the 32nd federal entity of Mexico. This gave the city autonomy comparable to the 31 states of Mexico. However, a clause in the Constitution of Mexico prevents it from becoming an actual state within the Mexican federation, as long it remains the capital of the country. The transition included Mexico City creating its own constitution and congress, in line with the other Mexican federal states.
The new constitution was developed through an extensive public participation process. With the drafting of its first constitution, the city had an opportunity to explore innovative ways of participatory democracy. The Mayor of Mexico City chose to establish a diverse, non-partisan, gender-balanced drafting group of 28 citizen representatives recognized for their various academic, political, cultural and social roles across the city, tasked with devising a constitutional drafting process and preparing a first draft.
Related Initiatives
Suggested Citation:
Kauffman, Craig, Catherine Haas, Shrishtee Bajpai, Kelsey Leonard, Elizabeth Macpherson, Pamela Martin, Alessandro Pelizzon, Alex Putzer & Linda Sheehan. Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. V2. 2026. Distributed by the Eco Jurisprudence Monitor. https://ecojurisprudence.org/initiatives/mexico-city-constitutional-amendment/.
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