[Equipo de la Alianza Global por los Derechos de la Naturaleza/08 de Octubre de 2018]

INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM FOR THE RIGHTS OF NATURE 10 YEARS OF RECOGNITION OF RIGHTS OF NATURE IN THE ECUADORIAN CONSTITUTION

QUITO-ECUADOR

27-28th of September, 2018

QUITO, Ecuador – On September 27th and 28th, 2018, the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN), together with its members and allies held the International Symposium for the Rights of Nature to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Rights of Nature in the Ecuadorian Constitution, at Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar. The recognition was achieved through the ratification of a popular referendum on September 28th, 2008. Since then, at least seven countries have recognized the inherent rights and legitimacy of nature in their legal systems.
On the first day of this historic event, attendees listened to professors, legal experts, indigenous leaders, activists, economists, government officials, artists, authors and ecologists from 17 different countries and seven indigenous nationalities, both as panelists and moderators. More than 300 people from 73 countries, and more than 70 people from the provinces of Ecuador, participated every day.

During the second day of the Symposium, profound analysis and reflections were made on the cases of Rights of Nature in Ecuador and on the work done in these past 10 years.
Experts, lawyers, activists, academics and indigenous leaders spoke on the subject. As a result of the Symposium, the Declaration of the International Symposium on the Rights of Nature was created, available at: http://www.therightsofnature.org It is important to emphasize that this Symposium takes place at a moment of great importance for the region, due to the announcement of the Ecuadorian Government and several Latin Americans about the ratification of the Escazú Agreement that will make progress towards better protection of the environment and a guarantee of the rights of those who protect it and advance it with Principle 10.

From the civil society gathered in this Symposium, we salute and congratulate the Latin American countries, especially Ecuador, for this signature. At the Symposium, all the participants expressed their concern and solidarity with those affected by the Chevron-Texaco case. This disaster continues to have serious consequences with the affected area and its inhabitants in the Ecuadorian Amazon and we demand that Chevron-Texaco pay.
For more information about GARN, visit https://therightsofnature.org/, and for more information about the Symposium, please visit https://rightsofnaturesymposium.com/.