On August 19, 2026, the International Rights of Nature Tribunal will convene the 3rd Regional Rights of Nature Tribunal for a Fossil Fuel-Free Amazon in Puyo, Ecuador, as part of the XII Pan-Amazonian Social Forum (FOSPA).

The hearing will bring together Indigenous Peoples, frontline communities, civil society organizations, legal experts, scientists, and international judges to examine how the expansion of fossil fuel extraction is impacting the Amazon and violating the Rights of Nature.

The Amazon is home to more than 47 million people and countless species. As the world’s largest tropical rainforest, it plays a critical role in regulating the global climate, storing freshwater, and sustaining one of the planet’s richest concentrations of biodiversity. Yet it continues to face mounting pressures from oil and gas extraction, deforestation, mining, industrial agriculture, and large-scale infrastructure development.

The Tribunal will hear six emblematic cases from across the Amazon Basin that illustrate these challenges:

• Ecuador: 11th Oil Round
• Brazil: Foz do Amazonas
• Colombia: U’wa People
• Venezuela: Sacrifice Zones in the Paraguaná Peninsula
• Peru: Lot 64 and Petroperú
• Bolivia: Tariquía

Through witness testimony, expert analysis, and legal arguments, the Tribunal will examine the impacts of fossil fuel expansion on ecosystems, Indigenous Peoples, and local communities while assessing these cases under the framework of the Rights of Nature.

The hearing also seeks to strengthen regional collaboration around a shared vision for an Amazon free from fossil fuel extraction. Building on the momentum generated by the Declaration of the Rights of the Amazon, adopted at the previous FOSPA, and recent international efforts to advance a just transition beyond fossil fuels, the Tribunal will provide a platform to support initiatives such as Fossil Fuel-Free Territories and the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The session is part of the International Rights of Nature Tribunal’s ongoing work to document ecological harms, elevate the voices of affected communities, and contribute to the development of Earth-centered jurisprudence.

The Tribunal is open to the public and will take place on Wednesday, August 19, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Casa de la Cultura “Benjamín Carrión” – Pastaza, in Puyo, Ecuador.

We invite everyone participating in FOSPA to join this important hearing and stand alongside the communities working to protect the Amazon and uphold the Rights of Nature.

Register to join us in person here.

There will be interpretation to English and Portuguese available, as well as a live broadcast. We will be sharing the details to join the broadcast closer to the date.