Rights of Nature wins at IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025

We’re thrilled to share some very good news! At the IUCN World Conservation Congress last week (9–12 October 2025), all five Rights of Nature motions passed, alongside Motion 061 on recognising ecocide. This is being described as a milestone for Earth law and conservation, shifting the frame from “managing resources” to recognising ecosystems as rights-bearing […]

We’re thrilled to share some very good news! At the IUCN World Conservation Congress last week (9–12 October 2025), all five Rights of Nature motions passed, alongside Motion 061 on recognising ecocide. This is being described as a milestone for Earth law and conservation, shifting the frame from “managing resources” to recognising ecosystems as rights-bearing communities with the right to exist, thrive and regenerate.

The adopted package covers: operationalising Rights of Nature in real territories (Motion 054), recognition of the Rights of Antarctica (055), an ethical human–ocean relationship (056), Rights of Rivers (067), integrating science and rights-based approaches for ecological recovery (070), and recognition of ecocide as a prosecutable crime (061). Together they call for legal tools, pilots, guidance for courts and communities, and closer alignment with Indigenous worldviews.

Why does this matter so much? Well, it provides a much clearer pathway for governments, courts, communities and advocates to embed Rights of Nature in policy and practice, from protected areas and river basins to the high seas and polar regions. It also strengthens accountability for severe environmental harm through the ecocide motion.

Read GARN’s summary and dive into each motion here.

To learn more about the state of ecocide law in particular, click here.