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”.

Mass damage and destruction of vital ecosystems through human activity now constitutes precisely such a threat on a global scale. 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.

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.

The event is available in English, French, Spanish and Arabic.