Open AccessThe Trees Speak for Themselves: Nature’s Rights Under International Law
Author(s) -
Samantha E. Franks
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
michigan journal of international law
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2688-5522
pISSN - 1052-2867
DOI - 10.36642/mjil.42.3.trees
Subject(s) - law , human rights , political science , soft law , international human rights law , jurisprudence , international law , public international law , environmental law , municipal law , declaration , law and economics , sociology
This note argues that the United Nations should center nature’s rights in the upcoming Global Pact on the Environment, solidifying the patchwork of international environmental law and encouraging domestic protection of the environment. Part II explores the current state of international environmental law, outlining the ways in which the doctrine remains incomplete. Part III establishes that Earth jurisprudence is an effective method to fill the gaps existing within traditional international environmental law. Part IV emphasizes the importance of soft law in international law. It draws a parallel between the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human’s Rights and a potential global Declaration of Nature’s Rights, thus establishing the possibility for a path forward for the Global Pact. Part V concludes.