Rights of Nature Leaders Launch Global Civil Society Coalition at COP17
Updated: 57 minutes ago
The new civil society coalition will work alongside a coalition founded by Panama, Tonga and Vanuatu as countries look to accelerate progress toward a UN Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature and the implementation of the 2030 biodiversity goals.
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Yerevan, Armenia, October 26, 2026 – Rights of Nature advocates and civil society representatives today announced the launch of the Civil Society Coalition for a Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature on the margins of the seventeenth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17). The initiative seeks to foster independent dialogue, knowledge-sharing and cooperation among civil society organizations, Indigenous Peoples, local communities, scientists, legal experts, youth and other interested actors.
The launch took place alongside renewed outreach by the For Nature Coalition of States, launched at the United Nations General Assembly last September, by Panama, Tonga and Vanuatu. While the two coalitions are separate and autonomous, they may contribute complementary perspectives to international discussions on the Rights of Nature, including the possible future development of a United Nations Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature.
The announcement comes as CBD COP17 conducts the first global review of progress under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. The United Nations' State of Biodiversity Action report found that nearly 90 percent of countries have established national biodiversity targets, while fewer than half of the assessed targets are on track. With four years remaining before 2030, countries are considering how to accelerate implementation and turn international commitments into measurable results.
Rights of Nature is a legal and ethical framework that recognizes ecosystems and species as having intrinsic value and interests that can be represented in decisions affecting their existence, regeneration and restoration. Each country retains authority over its own laws. The coalitions will provide spaces for governments and civil society to compare approaches, examine implementation and build a clearer shared understanding of the framework.
“This is why the Rights of Nature are so important. They are inherent to our own survival. The Rights of Nature are sacred. It is our obligation to recognize them and it is our moral imperative to defend them; I shall and I hope we all will.” Said Juan Carlos Navarro, Panama’s Minister of Environment. “We are waiting for other nations to join us, to make sure that the Rights of Nature are recognized for what they are. The most important thing on the face of the planet.”
The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework provides an important foundation for this dialogue. Its Section C recognizes diverse value systems and concepts, including, for countries that recognize them, the Rights of Nature and the Rights of Mother Earth, as part of the Framework's successful implementation. Target 19(f) further recognizes the role of collective action, including by Indigenous Peoples and local communities, Mother Earth-centric actions and non-market approaches in supporting biodiversity conservation and sustainable use.
The Framework describes Mother Earth-centric actions as ecocentric and rights-based approaches aimed at fostering harmonious and complementary relationships between peoples and Nature, promoting the continuity of living beings and their communities, and ensuring the non-commercialization of the environmental functions of Mother Earth.
"Existing environmental laws remain essential, and the current pace of biodiversity loss shows why governments need additional tools," said Callie Veelenturf, founder and executive director of forNature and a National Geographic Explorer. "Rights of Nature brings Nature's intrinsic value and interests into decision-making. COP17 gives us an opportunity to help countries understand how this framework can support and strengthen the biodiversity work already under way."
The initiative builds on important developments in international environmental and human rights law. The United Nations General Assembly recognized the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment in 2022. In July 2025, the International Court of Justice issued its Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change, clarifying States' obligations under international law to protect the climate system and the environment. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights, in its 2025 Advisory Opinion on Climate Emergency and Human Rights, also addressed the recognition of Nature as a subject of rights and the interdependence between human rights and environmental protection. These developments provide complementary perspectives for international dialogue on strengthening the protection of people and ecosystems.
The Civil Society Coalition for the Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature will connect movement leaders, Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant, environmental and grassroots organizations and local communities, scientists, academics, legal experts, youth and other partners. Its work will focus on coordination, public education and practical input that can support national implementation and future multilateral discussions.
The For Nature Coalition of States remains informal and voluntary. Each participating country is free to choose its own legal approach and take its own position in formal negotiations. Members may consider longer-term international cooperation, including future discussion of a possible Universal Declaration of the Rights of Nature.
The Coalition was announced at a press conference at COP17 today, with speakers including:
H.E. Juan Carlos Navarro, Minister of Environment of Panama;
Callie Veelenturf, forNature Founder and Director and National Geographic Explorer
Xiomara Acevedo Navarro, Campaign Strategist at forNature and Executive Director of Fundación Barranquilla+20;
Jocabed Solano, Guna leader and Director of Indigenous Memory;
Natalia Greene, Director of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature.
MEDIA CONTACTS
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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.
