The initiative began in 2020 with the goal of changing ocean management, as most of the marine ecosystem is located outside of any state as it is in international waters.
Monday in the scientific journal PLOS Biology, a group of environmental professionals from the Earth Law Center (ELC), a US-based nongovernmental organization, published arguments for creating legislation that would give oceans legal status to be recognized as organisms with fundamental rights to be protected.
Currently, there are laws that protect oceans whose waters are located within exclusive economic zones, that is, the area that extends about 370 kilometers from the coast of a country. However, almost 64% of the marine ecosystem is in international waters, which are outside the jurisdiction of any country, so There is no judgment on most oceans.
The English Language Center researchers warned that “maintaining the status quo of environmental law is tantamount to the legal destruction of nature,” who said that “international law must evolve to reflect the inherent rights of oceans to the oceans.” Exist, flourish and renew““Ocean health is human health,” she said.
Giving the oceans legal rights to conserve them
The United Nations has designated June 8 as World Oceans Day in order to dedicate this date to reflecting on the damage we do to the oceans every day.
According to ELC’s Director of Ocean Campaigns, Michelle Bender, development of the initiative, known as the Universal Declaration of Ocean Rights (UDOR), began in 2020, in collaboration with sports company Ocean Race, to transform ocean governance in order to implement the vision enshrined in the United Nations Decade for Science Oceans for Sustainable Development (2021-2030).
The main objective of UDOR Intensifying efforts to find solutions that help reverse the trend of sea degradation until 2030. Like the United Nations Decade, this can be strengthened by promoting scientific progress, which will create better conditions for the sustainable development of the oceans.
Bender referred to the case of Ecuador, which in 2008 constitutionally recognized the rights to nature, known as “Pachamama”, becoming the first country in the world to implement such an initiative. “We learn a lot from Ecuador, because more than a decade ago the rights of nature were included in its constitution,” the expert commented.
However, he said, “there are some challenges in implementing this kind of legal framework, as is the case with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights” where, to put it into practice, they must: Implementing compliance within national policies.
“Ecuador is showing us how we can build these decision-making standards and principles of governance,” Bandar said. Likewise, Panama followed the example of the Ecuadorean authorities and last February approved a national law recognizing nature’s right as a living organism.
For his part, Ocean Race Policy Director Johann Stride stated that there are a growing number of states, organisations, scientists and entrepreneurs who want to support UDOR. He stressed in this context that they will seek the support of at least ten countries defending the initiative in the next United Nations General Assembly, which will be held within a year.
“Companies have rights; human beings have rights; organizations have rights in courts of justice,” Strid stressed, arguing that, “So, The ocean must have the right to protect and the right to thrive“.
(With information from RT)
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