Promoting the adoption of the crime of Ecocide in the Americas
We work alongside diverse actors for the legal protection of Nature in the region.
OUR WORK
WHO WE ARE
Stop Ecocide Americas leads the movement across the continent to achieve the recognition of ecocide as a crime, both nationally and internationally. Our work focuses on the countries of Latin America.
In addition to technical aspects, our work is enriched by the diverse worldviews present in the region—from the ancestral concept of Abya Yala to respect for Pachamama and the philosophy of Buen Vivir (Sumak Kawsay / Suma Qamaña / küme mogen)—which remind us that life is interdependent and that Nature is the home we inhabit and depend upon.
OUR VISION
In the Americas, environmental destruction and human rights violations are deeply intertwined. Extractivism without proper regulation, deforestation in the Amazon, contamination of water basins, and land grabbing affect Nature and its population, particularly the numerous Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and rural communities whose territories, health, and culture are threatened.
Our work focuses on building a collaborative network that connects this powerful legal tool—the crime of ecocide—with ecological justice, social justice, and human rights, giving special consideration to the Escazú Agreement and Advisory Opinion OC-32/25 of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
DEFINITION OF ECOCIDE
(Coming soon: definition in Quechua, Nahuatl, Guaraní, and other native languages of the region)
To promote the criminalisation of ecocide in the Americas, we work in alliance with key actors:
Governments, promoting support for the inclusion of ecocide as the fifth crime against peace and security before the International Criminal Court.
Universities and academic centres, disseminating technical aspects within academia and among students.
Civil society organisations and grassroots movements, strengthening their advocacy capacity at the local level and addressing the specific issues of each community.
Parliaments, promoting legislative initiatives to adopt ecocide as a crime at the domestic level.
Media, to highlight the urgency of the ecological crisis and spread the legal solution we propose: the adoption of the crime of ecocide nationally and internationally.
Furthermore, we foster the expansion of the various support networks collaborating with Stop Ecocide International globally and regionally.
This coordination allows us to address the ecological crisis from all its dimensions, creating synergies between technical knowledge, strategic communication, political advocacy, and civil society participation.
REGIONAL TEAM
The work of Stop Ecocide Americas is led by a Director and a Regional Coordinator, who design strategies, represent the organisation at high-level events, and promote legislative initiatives across the region.
ASSOCIATED NATIONAL TEAMS
We have associated teams in several countries across the Americas that coordinate national efforts to advance the movement at the political and legislative levels in their respective territories.
STRATEGIC ALLIANCES
We build links with civil society organisations, Indigenous peoples, academia, and international actors to strengthen a common agenda in defence of Nature.
Do you want to support the growing Stop Ecocide International movement in the Americas?
Legislative Progress
On Tuesday, 9 June, the argentinian Senate's Justice and Criminal Affairs Committee and Environment and Sustainable Development Committee approved a Bill that would, if passed by the full Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, establish a dedicated chapter on environmental crimes, including ecocide, within the Argentine Penal Code for the first time.
For more recent news from the Americas and the world, click here.
Main Activities
[May 2026]: Presentation of progress on the Model Law on Ecocide for Latin America at the Alliance of Environmental Legal Clinics of Latin America and the Caribbean. Publication of the Santiago Declaration.
[June-July 2026] Public Consultation towards the creation of the Model Law on Ecocide for Latin America.
[September-October 2026) Academic Congress for the drafting of the Model Law on Ecocide for Latin America.
TOWARDS A MODEL LAW FOR LATIN AMERICA
As part of Stop Ecocide International's regional initiatives, we are developing a Model Law on Ecocide for Latin America. This instrument aims to serve as a legal reference to support and guide future legislative initiatives in continental countries, promoting the incorporation of ecocide as a crime into national legal systems.
The Model Law will offer a technical and normative foundation to facilitate legislative debate and strengthen the legal protection of the environment against severe, widespread, or long-lasting damage, drawing inspiration from the definition agreed upon by the 2021 Independent Expert Panel and adapting it to the realities and legal traditions of Latin America.
Its final approval is scheduled to take place during an Academic Congress specifically convened for this purpose in September in Mexico, hosted by Stop Ecocide International, Universidad Iberoamericana, the Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA), and the Alliance of Environmental Legal Clinics of Latin America and the Caribbean, with the participation of over 25 academics from various Latin American universities..
Contact