Between 6th -9th June, our Head of International Outreach, Judy Foster was at the UN’s First Global Meeting of the Fifth Montevideo Environmental Law Programme in Nairobi, Kenya, to deliver our official statement and engage with state representatives
Interest in the subject of criminalising ecocide was notable from a number of delegates, particularly from the African, Latin American, Caribbean and Asian regions.
There was also considerable support for the legal definition as drafted by the Independent Expert Panel, convened by our Foundation.
High level endorsement
In an official side event, Senator the Hon. Maureen Payne Hyman, National Focal Point, Antigua and Barbuda, stated;
“We don’t currently have a strong international enforcement mechanism. I have had the pleasure to talk to Judy Foster from Stop Ecocide Foundation about a new crime of ecocide at the International Criminal Court. I support a new international crime of ecocide at the ICC.
If the ICC recognised an international crime of ecocide then they could investigate the most severe crimes and companies would take it more seriously. All companies are concerned about reputational damage, no company wants to be known as someone who is doing irreparable damage.
I think this is something we should consider. There are thousands of existing laws/recommendations/ regulations, we need an overarching law to cover the worst crimes”
Stop Ecocide Foundation official statement
Stop Ecocide Foundation official statement, delivered in writing to the Secretariat, can be found here:
A condensed version was delivered in person by our Head of International Outreach.
Youth delegation
The Youth delegation at the conference called for more inclusion and dialogue with Youth representatives when considering the road ahead for the Montevideo program.
Zablon Ogolla, one of the Kenyan youth representatives, made a strong call for a new international crime of ecocide on the final day of the conference.
In the photo (not in order): Zablon Ogolla - Kenya, Mykhailo Hohol - Ukraine, Judy Njenga -Kenya, Joshua Prentice - Trinidad and Tobago, Alphonce Muia - Kenya, Ashish Poudyal - Nepal
