United Nations Civil Society Forum: ‘recognise ecocide as an international crime’
Summary:
The Joint Global Statement of Major Groups and Stakeholders (Joint Global Statement), presented at the Sixth United Nations Environmental Assembly (UNEA-6) held from February 26 to March 1 2024, at United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters in Nairobi, Kenya, stated that working 'towards the universal recognition of ecocide as an international crime' would serve as a 'powerful deterrent' against the most severe environmental harms.
The 20th Global Major Groups and Stakeholders Forum (GMGSF 20), which produced the Joint Global Statement, took place in the days immediately prior to UNEA-6. GMGSF 20 marked the culmination of a global consultation process, conducted both online and in-person, which engaged civil society stakeholders including NGOs, trade unions, women's groups, indigenous peoples, members of the scientific community, and representatives of global youth movements.
The Joint Global Statement contributed to a high-level Multistakeholder Dialogue at UNEA-6, which was overseen by H.E. Leila Benali, President of UNEA-6, and Ms. Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.
This is the second time that the Global Major Groups & Stakeholders Forum has produced a Joint Statement calling for the addition of a new standalone crime of ecocide to the International Criminal Court’s Rome Statute.
You can find the full-length Joint Global Statement of Major Groups and Stakeholders here.