A Universal Declaration

From national recognition to international dialogue

The Rights of Nature recognize that Nature has intrinsic value and that ecosystems and other natural entities have rights of their own, including the rights to exist, thrive and regenerate.

Over the past decades, these rights have gained recognition through constitutional provisions, national, local, and tribal laws, judicial decisions and community-led initiatives around the world.

1982: The General Assembly adopts the World Charter for Nature, affirming that every form of life warrants respect regardless of its value to humans.
2009: The UN General Assembly proclaims 22 April as International Mother Earth Day, following an initiative led by Bolivia, helping open the UN conversation on living in harmony with Nature.
2010: The World People's Conference on Climate Change and the Rights of Mother Earth in Cochabamba, Bolivia, develops the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth, with broad participation from Indigenous Peoples and civil society. Since then, the UN General Assembly has continued the Harmony with Nature agenda through successive resolutions, reports and interactive dialogues.
2012: The Rio+20 outcome document recognizes that some countries enshrine the Rights of Nature.
2022: The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework recognizes diverse value systems and concepts, including, for countries that recognize them, the Rights of Nature and the Rights of Mother Earth.
2023: Cape Verde, alongside Monaco and civil society partners (ELC, Ocean Vision Legal and The Ocean Race), attempted to introduce Ocean Rights in the 2023 United Nations Omnibus Resolution on ‘Oceans and Law of the Seas.’ The proposal did not gain the consensus needed for adoption but launched a high-level dialogue on granting ocean rights through multilateralism.
2024: A UN Secretary-General report documents the growth of Rights of Nature in law, jurisprudence and education.
2025: IUCN members adopt resolutions advancing the Rights of Nature and calling for the recognition and prosecution of ecocide under national and international law.
2026: Panama announces an international effort toward a UN Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature.

Building on these developments, Panama has taken a leading role in advancing international dialogue toward a potential Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature.

In September 2026, during the United Nations General Assembly, Panama announced its intention to advance this initiative and joined Tonga and Vanuatu in launching the For Nature Coalition of States, a platform for cooperation and dialogue among interested governments.

A Universal Declaration could offer an opportunity to establish shared international principles for recognizing and respecting the Rights of Nature, while drawing on the diverse legal traditions, knowledge systems and experiences that have shaped the movement.

The pathway remains under development. Continued dialogue among governments, civil society, Indigenous Peoples, scientific institutions and other stakeholders will be essential in exploring how this initiative can move forward.