ANIMAL
PETITIONS

We are calling on the United Nations to adopt a Declaration of Rights of Mother Earth, in addition to the Human Rights Declaration. This essential step recognizes the inherent rights of Nature to exist, thrive, and evolve, irrespective of its use or value to humans.

Earth Jurisprudence, or Earth Law, is the application of this concept, granting legal standing to natural communities and treating Nature as a fundamental, rights-bearing entity. Several countries have already implemented Earth Jurisprudence, recognizing Nature's inherent rights, including Ecuador, Bolivia, India, Mexico, New Zealand, and the USA. This legal system, based on acknowledging Nature's rights to health, prosperity, and evolution, is gradually becoming the norm.

We, civil society organizations worldwide, have voiced the need for humankind to recognize the fundamental rights of the natural world and have called on governments and peoples to adopt and implement a "Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth." The key reasons for this are:

1. Environmental legislation has ignored the interconnection of water, air, land, and wildlife. Current single-stressor laws miss the fact that humans can transform the Earth System on a global scale through activities like air pollution, ocean acidification, deforestation, and water contamination.

2. Human pressure on the Earth System has reached a scale where abrupt global environmental change can no longer be excluded. To continue living and operating safely, humanity must respect the planet's climatic, geophysical, atmospheric, and ecological processes and stay away from critical thresholds in the Earth's environment.

3. Human well-being and prosperity can no longer come at the Earth's expense but must serve the Earth. Humankind should stop abusing and treating Nature as a commodity, just as people were treated throughout history. The adoption of the "Universal Declaration of Human Rights" in 1948 was a landmark to end such abuses. Today, we need the same landmark declaration for the Rights of Nature to stop the abuse of Nature.

We invite you to sign this petition for the acceptance of the Rights of Nature, in solidarity with those defending Mother Earth directly. Urge your elected government officials to adopt relevant legislation and call on the United Nations to consider our petition to adopt a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Mother Earth to exist, thrive, and evolve.