Panamá, Tonga, and Vanuatu Launch the For Nature Coalition of States to Advance Global Dialogue on the Rights of Nature at the United Nations
Updated: 5 minutes ago
Photo caption: Leaders holding up the signed Statement of Participation in the For Nature Coalition of States at the United Nations Headquarters on September 24, 2026. From left to right: Callie Veelenturf, founder and executive director of forNature; His Excellency Juan Carlos Navarro, Minister of the Environment of Panama; Lord Fatafehi Fakafānua, Prime Minister of Tonga; His Excellency Ralph Regenvanu, Minister for Climate Change Adaptation, Energy, Environment, Meteorology, Geo-Hazards and Disaster Management of Vanuatu.
Voluntary, State-led initiative will allow governments to share national experience and explore a possible U.N. Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
New York, September 30, 2026 – Panama, Tonga and Vanuatu, three U.N. Member States, have launched the For Nature Coalition of States. The coalition is an informal, State-led space that will bring governments together to share national experiences and explore how Rights of Nature can inform national policy and international cooperation, including discussions surrounding a proposed United National Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature. Its purpose is to give interested Member States a place to reflect together on how Rights of Nature approaches might complement existing environmental protection frameworks. The coalition builds on more than fifteen years of General Assembly work under the Harmony with Nature process. It is being launched as the world faces the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.
“Protecting Nature is about our own survival and our responsibility to our people, our children, and our future. In Panamá we have recognized the Rights of Nature in our own laws. Now we are inviting the world to join us in our ambition for a better planet. Through the For Nature Coalition of States, we are building a coalition of countries ready to lead and to give Nature the recognition and protection it deserves.” said Juan Carlos Navarro, Minister of Environment, Republic of Panama.
The coalition is open to all Member States and operates through voluntary cooperation on an equal footing. Participation is non-binding and does not constitute endorsement of any legal framework or future text, including the final content of any proposed Declaration. It does not affect States’ positions or votes in the General Assembly or any other intergovernmental process. The coalition is distinct from any Group of Friends or other mechanism that may be established within the Harmony with Nature process.
Participating States recognize the diversity of legal, cultural, philosophical and policy approaches among Member States. They also acknowledge the contributions of Indigenous Peoples’ worldviews, traditional knowledge and stewardship practices. Alongside Member States, the coalition recognizes the role of civil society, academia, scientists, Indigenous Peoples and local communities in advancing the international dialogue.
"Across every region, courts, parliaments and communities are rethinking how our laws and institutions relate to the natural world. The For Nature Coalition of States offers a valuable space to share that experience openly, with respect for different legal traditions and for the knowledge of Indigenous Peoples who have long understood people and nature as inseparable. IUCN, as a Union of States and civil society, stands ready to support this dialogue with science and practical experience, so that it leads to stronger protection for nature and for people," said H.E. Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
The Permanent Mission of Panama to the United Nations supports outreach and diplomatic coordination with the technical support of forNature. The coalition will normally meet quarterly, virtually or in person. Member States interested in participating may sign the Statement of Participation or send an expression of interest through diplomatic channels to the Permanent Mission of Panama.
“Science is telling us with increasing urgency that our relationship with the natural world must change. The leadership of Panama, Tonga and Vanuatu comes at an important moment, as countries around the world explore new, rights-based approaches to addressing accelerating ecological crises. The global Rights of Nature movement is deeply grateful to these countries for using their platforms at the United Nations to help elevate Nature’s voice and create space for Nature’s interests to be more directly considered in decisions about our shared future. This leadership is an important contribution to the growing global dialogue around how we can build legal and governance systems that better recognize and protect the living world,” said Callie Veelenturf, marine biologist, National Geographic Explorer, Scientist with the United Nations Harmony with Nature Programme, and Founder and Executive Director of forNature.
Participating Member States - as of September 24, 2026:
Republic of Panama
Kingdom of Tonga
Republic of Vanuatu
Panama’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Contact
Ricardo Moscoso
Deputy Permanent Representative
Permanent Mission of Panama to the United Nations
Media contact
Julio Ligorria
Panama PR Team
jligorria@roarmedia.com | +1 (305) 916-1757
forNature Contact
Callie Veelenturf
Founder and Executive Director
callie@fornature.org | +1 (508) 315-9464
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Notes to editors
The For Nature Coalition of States is an informal, decentralized initiative of UN Member States. The United Nations Harmony with Nature process was established by General Assembly resolution 64/196 (2009). Additional multimedia for press use can be found here with credit to Laurel Chor.
About forNature
forNature is a global initiative founded by National Geographic Explorer Callie Veelenturf, dedicated to advancing the Rights of Nature legally and culturally through science, policy, and public engagement. As a 501(c)(3), sponsored by the Alfred Kobacker and Elizabeth Trimbach Fund, forNature aims to advance the Rights of Nature and drive systemic change in how humanity relates to the natural world. forNature collaborates with scientists, Indigenous Peoples, local communities and governments through science, education and storytelling, positioning the Rights of Nature as an effective solution to the biodiversity, pollution and climate crises. Visit www.forNature.org to learn more and follow their work on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook.
About The Alfred Kobacker and Elizabeth Trimbach Fund
Building on the Kobacker family's long tradition of philanthropy, The Alfred Kobacker and Elizabeth Trimbach Fund supports a select group of exceptional individuals whose vision, judgment and persistence can produce meaningful and lasting change. It finds those people early, gives them the resources to succeed, and then trusts their judgment to carry the work forward. The Fund backed Callie Veelenturf before her work advancing the Rights of Nature gained international recognition, and its continuing support makes the forNature program possible. The AKET Fund also supports documentary filmmaking, independent journalism, human rights and efforts to reduce nuclear risk. Learn more at aketfund.org.
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