Concept

Rights of Nature represents a transformative approach to environmental law. It recognizes Nature not as a resource for human exploitation, but as a living subject with its own right to exist, persist, maintain, and regenerate its vital cycles.

Mission

The mission of the Rights of Nature Tribunal is to establish the Rights of Nature an inextricable part of our legal system and society. Through its work, the Tribunal serves as a model for how institutions can and should address environmental justice and cases of ecocide, giving Nature a seat in tribunals, courts, and decision-making institutions.

Values

The Rights of Nature Tribunal upholds the principle that the interests of nonhuman beings are equally important to those of humans, emphasizing the need for a fundamental paradigm shift in society’s relationship with Nature—transforming from one of exploitation to one of respect, reciprocity, and coexistence.

WELCOME TO
THE INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS OF NATURE TRIBUNAL

“To facilitate their efforts, the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN), created a new international governing institution: the International Rights of Nature Tribunal. The idea was inspired by the International War Crimes Tribunal and the Permanent Peoples’ Tribunal, established by citizens to investigate and publicize human rights violations. Just as these tribunals provided social pressure to create and strengthen international Human Rights Law, the International Rights of Nature Tribunal is meant to foster international Rights of Nature law.”

CRAIG M. KAUFFMAN and PAMELA L. MARTIN

We Care About Nature

The Tribunal aims to create a forum for people from all around the world to speak on behalf of Nature, to protest the destruction of the Earth, destruction that is often sanctioned by governments and corporations, and to make recommendations about Earth’s protection and restoration.

The Tribunal also has a strong focus on enabling Indigenous Peoples to share their unique concerns and solutions about land, water, and culture with the global community.

Why it matters