Dear Friends,
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The Institute for Small Islands, in partnership with Stop Ecocide International, Gallifrey Foundation of Geneva and Mair and Company law firm of Trinidad and Tobago, would like to formally invite you to:
“The Tide Is Rising:
Protecting our Ocean and Islands through Ecocide Law”
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The Ocean is the crucible of life - it's where life started on this planet. We are indebted to the rich and varied biodiversity within Her, for life, for sustenance, for livelihood, for health, for recreation, for worship. As islands, we are surrounded by the Ocean - She is our life-blood. When She is ill, when She is poisoned, when She is polluted - we are all affected. How can we protect Her?
How can we contain the grave and almost existential threat to Small Islands, Coastal communities and Indigenous Peoples, some of the most vulnerable communities in the face of climate collapse? Through no fault of our own, the anthropogenic abuse is affecting our communities the worst. The better we can protect our Ocean and its resources, the better we protect ourselves and our future. Time is running out to ensure a healthy planet and livable future for not only us, but more importantly, our children and our children's children.
This is why we're embarking on a collaborative journey. The goal of the Ocean Dialogues on September 7th 2023 will be to draw up a Declaration to promote Ecocide law as a key instrument in further Ocean protection for Small Island States, Coastal communities and Indigenous Peoples.
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The Legal Definition of ecocide, as formulated by the Independent Expert Panel convened by the Stop Ecocide Foundation in 2021, is:
“unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment being caused by those acts.”
This is the official Caribbean launch of the Ocean Network for Ecocide Law Network, a new and rapidly growing initiative to advocate for Ocean and Coastal protection though the implementation of an international crime of ecocide. The event aims to connect politicians and lawmakers with the work of the Ocean Network for Ecocide Law and encourage them to include the tenets of Ecocide law in their constitution.
The Ocean is one of the least protected parts of the planet. The laws that are meant to protect it are fragmented into various parts which do not necessarily work with each other, and their enforcement is difficult to implement. Ocean for Ecocide Law is one of the many networks in the growing global movement for Ecocide Law whose aim is to amend the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to include Ecocide, alongside genocide, war crimes, crimes of aggression and crimes against humanity.
The Legal Definition of ecocide, as formulated by the Independent Expert Panel convened by the Stop Ecocide Foundation in 2021, is:
“unlawful or wanton acts committed with knowledge that there is a substantial likelihood of severe and either widespread or long-term damage to the environment being caused by those acts.”
The goal of the Ocean Dialogues on September 7th 2023 will be to draw up a Declaration to promote Ecocide Law as a key instrument in further Ocean protection for coastal and Indigenous Peoples.
Please confirm your attendance by filling out the following registration form. Please RSVP or we will not be able to confirm a spot for you as space is limited.
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We invite you to attend the Ocean Dialogues. Together, we will discuss the many ways Ecocide law can help protect our resources, ecosystems and peoples and harness the collective wisdom a wide variety of stakeholders to draft a text that is a rallying cry for island nations.
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We look forward to you joining us!
Warm regards,
Caroline Mair-Toby
Director and founder, Institute for Small Islands
Attorney at Law, Mair and Company
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About the Oceans for Ecocide Law Partnership:
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The Gallifrey Foundation identifies collaborative opportunities to tackle ocean conservation issues by identifying synergies that could be exploited and roadblocks that could be overcome by working together. Our model of engagement is to partner with other organizations. As everything is connected, this can lead to gender, Indigenous and social justice, human and planetary health as well as environmental issues. The goal is to reach positive collaborative action as soon as possible via education, by not reinventing the wheel, and collaborating with other organisations to great impact and effect on our mutual objectives and finally identifying gaps that may not yet have been identified or are emerging.
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Stop Ecocide International exists to amend the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to include Ecocide, alongside genocide, war crimes, crimes of aggression and crimes against humanity, as the 5th International Crime. If Ecocide is incorporated into the ICC, it will strengthen the existing tenets by giving them a clear consequence of non-compliance. Currently the precautionary principle is not applied and many actions that occur in the ocean could be termed ecocide. With the rising impacts of the ocean and climate boiling, ecocide will help protect our ocean resources by preventing the most severe harms. In the same way that criminal law protects the rights of a person to live, so does Ecocide law protects ocean right to thrive.
Mair and Company is a commercial law firm based in the heart of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. Alongside legal expertise in a wide range of practice areas, we also offer a depth of specialist knowledge in strategic industries and sectors, in both litigation and transactional areas. We have a history of excellence and innovation from our inception in 1982, championing avant-garde areas of law and challenging outdated legal practices. Accessibility and diversity are key priorities.
The Institute for Small Islands is an independent research and policy institute that provides a forum for discussion of issues important to small island states and communities around the world. Based in the Caribbean, we launched the region's very first pro-bono Legal Advice Centre focused on climate and environmental justice, Indigenous rights and climate diplomacy. Our focus is Multilateral Environmental Negotiations (especially UNFCCC, UNPFPAD and UNFPII), Climate and Environmental Justice, Indigenous Rights, Reparations, Postcolonialism, and Terrestrial and Ocean Conservation and Regeneration. We bring together thought leaders from the public sector, private sector, academia, and civil society, creating spaces for discourse, problem-solving, and action.
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