Relevance of ECOCIDE as the fifth crime

This 90minute event takes place at The Hague and is being live-streamed. Register to watch online, free.

Official side event 21st Session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

The Rome Statute is intended to address the “most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole”, those acts which most “threaten the peace, security and wellbeing of the world”.

In the context of climate and ecological crisis, it is clear that mass damage and destruction of vital ecosystems through human activity now constitutes precisely such a threat on a global scale. It is also clear that such acts are not restricted to times of conflict, nor do they necessarily involve direct harm to humans; they are therefore not addressed by the existing Rome Statute crimes.

At the same time, such damage and destruction, now increasingly referred to as “ecocide”, not only has direct and devastating consequences for communities and nations now, but also the severest of implications for the future of human civilisation as a whole, as well as for the wider community of species with whom we share our planetary home. We are only just beginning to comprehend how deeply we (and the stability of our climate) depend upon the healthy functioning and complexity of this intricate web of interconnected life.

There is strong relevance to the ICC’s remit, therefore, of the inclusion of ecocide within the scope of the Rome Statute. This is being recognised and discussed by a growing number of States Parties, as well as by the Court itself, as acknowledged during the 20th anniversary conference on 1st July of this year.

This side event examines the rapid global progress of this discussion, the importance of the consensus legal definition of ecocide (Independent Expert Panel, June 2021) in that progress, and the potential for the ICC to play a decisive role in addressing the greatest challenge of our time.

Speakers:

Hon Elly van Vliet, Honorary Consul to Vanuatu in The Netherlands

Prof. Chile Eboe-Osuji, Former ICC President.

Prof Philippe Sands KC, International lawyer, professor, author.

Jojo Mehta, Co-founder & Executive Director, Stop Ecocide International

Darryl Robinson, Professor of Law, Queens University Canada

Josh Oxby, UN Youth Advisor

Moderator: HRH Princess Esmeralda of Belgium

Organised by: Stop Ecocide International

Hosted by: Republic of Vanuatu, Stop Ecocide Foundation