The Promise Institute
for Human Rights (Europe) News
About the Conference
This one-day hybrid conference will convene scholars, activists, diplomats, and lawmakers from across the globe for a dialogue on the intersection of international law, human rights, and ecological justice.
The daytime programme will feature presentations by the authors of selected papers from the forthcoming Special Issue of the International Journal on Human Rights dedicated to Ecocide, Human Rights and Environmental Justice. A strong emphasis will be placed on voices from the global majority, ensuring that diverse perspectives are brought to the forefront of this critical debate.
In the evening, the focus will broaden beyond academia. Campaigners, activists, lawmakers, and representatives of states at the forefront of the ecocide campaign will share reflections and experiences on the path towards ecological justice.
The conference is proudly organised by UCLA Law’s The Promise Institute for Human Rights Europe and The Institute for Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Studies, University of London.
Meet the Speakers: Farah Faizal
We are honoured to announce that Dr. Farah Faizal, retired ambassador and expert on Small Island Developing States (SIDS), will chair Panel 3: Human Rights and Environmental Stewardship at the upcoming International Conference on Ecocide, Human Rights and Environmental Justice.
Dr. Faizal is the first Maldivian woman to earn a Ph.D. and currently is a Senior Fellow at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London.
From Environmental War Crimes to Ecocide: Juliana Galindo and Héctor Herrera
The article From Environmental War Crimes to Ecocide: Lessons from Colombia’s Transitional Justice by Juliana Galindo and Héctor Herrera examines how Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace addresses environmental war crimes, offering lessons for defining and prosecuting ecocide. It highlights challenges in recognizing nature as a victim, assessing environmental harm, and proving perpetrators’ awareness. The tribunal’s approach signals a shift toward ecocentric justice influenced by Indigenous and Afro-Colombian perspectives.
“Can the ICJ’s new climate ruling save the planet?
LISTEN NOW!
On 23 July 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a landmark advisory opinion clarifying what states are legally obliged to do about climate change, and what happens if they don’t. In this lecture and conversation, our ED Kate Mackintosh explains what the ruling says, why it’s historic, and how it can be used, from courtrooms to climate negotiations.
Meet the Speakers: Samia Dumbuya
Samia Dumbuya is a climate educator, facilitator, and founder of The People’s Ark, empowering marginalised communities in the UK to become active climate changemakers. For over a decade, they’ve led workshops and programmes that make climate and environmental education accessible, helping young people and local groups understand how the climate crisis impacts their lives and our planet.
🎡 Join us in London or online!
📆 31 October 2025
Meet the Speakers: Matthew Gillet
In his article “Human, all too Human”: The Anthropocentricization of Ecocide, Matthew Gillet warns that defining ecocide around human interests risks undermining the ecocentric rationale for adding this new crime to the Rome Statute, which already contains extensive crimes aimed at protecting humans and their property.
The piece sets out a typology of approaches and evaluates how each could contribute to the anthropocentricisation of ecocide.
🎡 Join us in London or online!
📆 31 October 2025
Meet the Speakers: Her Excellency Macenje Mazoka
We are honoured to welcome Her Excellency Macenje Mazoka, the High Commissioner of the Republic of Zambia to the United Kingdom.
With over three decades in broadcasting, governance, and diplomacy, she now focuses on strengthening Zambia–UK relations, advancing economic diplomacy, and promoting investment in Zambia’s sustainable future.
🎡 Join us in London or online!
📆 31 October 2025
Meet the Speakers: Jonathan Liljeblad
Jonathan Liljeblad was born in Myanmar as a member of the Pa’Oh Indiginous peoples and grew up in Sweden and the United States. His analysis Intersections of Ecocide, Indigenous Struggle, & Pro-Democracy Conflict: Implications of Post-Coup Myanmar for Ecocide in International Criminal Law considers Myanmar's current conflict as a potential case for future ecocide prosecution.
🎡 Join us in London or online!
📆 31 October 2025
👉 Full Programme & Registration links here: https://www.promiseeurope.law.ucla.edu/conference-ecocide-human-rights-and-environmental-justice
Meet the Speakers: Dr Olivia Lwabukuna
Dr. Lwabukuna is a distinguished Tanzanian legal scholar and lawyer with two decades of experience spanning academia, advocacy, and policy research across Africa and the UK.
Through her work, she actively promotes socio-economic justice and human rights, teaching, influencing policy and engaging with civil society across Africa and the wider Commonwealth.
Meet the Speakers: Darryl Robinson
Humans Matter Too: “Ecocentric” Does not Mean “Misanthropic”
Meet Darryl Robinson, Professor at Queen’s University, Faculty of Law, member of Ecocide Law Advisory and part of the expert panel on the definition of ecocide.
At the conference on Ecocide, Human Rights and Environmental Justice, Darryl will unpack the widespread misuse of terms “anthropocentric” and “ecocentric” that has spread throughout the current ecocide literature, leading numerous scholars to believe that any consideration of human interests is “anthropocentric”.
🎡 Join us in London or online!
📆 31 October 2025
👉 Register here: https://sas.sym-online.com/registrationforms/ecocide-conference-oct2025
Final Day in Geneva for UCLA Law in The Hague Students
On the last day of their visit to Geneva, the UCLA Law in The Hague students were able to sit in as states debated the reports of the working groups on arbitrary detention and enforced disappearances, before catching a briefing on efforts to protect children in armed conflict from Aurelie Lamaziere of Save the Children International.
After lunch, they headed over to Palais Wilson to meet with UC alum Sun Kim, Legal Advisor at the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, to discuss Commissions of Inquiry (CoI).
UCLA Law in The Hague students trip to Geneva, day 2
On their second day in Geneva, the UCLA Law in The Hague students visited the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent Museum, attended sessions at the UN Human Rights Council and met with practitioners at the forefront of international humanitarian and human rights law, deepening their understanding of both the challenges and the impact of these global efforts.
Meet the Speakers: Lovleen Bhullar and Co-Author Gita Parihar
Dr Lovleen Bhullar is Assistant Professor in Environmental Law at the University of Cambridge, as a speaker at our upcoming conference in London on 31 October.
Dr Bullar, together with Gita Parihar, a senior legal consultant specialising in environmental and human rights law, has co-authored the paper “Reviving India’s River Goddesses: Ecocide, the Right to a Healthy Environment and Rights of Nature”.
Their work explores the synergies between the proposed international crime of Ecocide, the right to a healthy environment, and the rights of nature.
UCLA Law in The Hague Students visit Geneva
The UCLA Law in The Hague students are spending this week in Geneva!
On Day 1, the students were able to watch the UN Human Rights Council consider reports on unilateral sanctions, mercenaries and the right to water – and grab a photo with long-time Promise Institute collaborator Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation! They also visited non-profit International Bridges to Justice, and finished the day with a traditional Swiss cheese fondue.
UCLA Law in The Hagues Students present at UC Alumni reception!
We were delighted to join the community reception and forum for University of California alumni, students, and friends in the Netherlands at the 25th anniversary celebration of the study abroad exchange of UC and Utrecht University!
Meet the Speakers: Daniel Adjin Odonkor
Daniel Adjin Odonkor is a lawyer and researcher with the Centre of Criminology at the University of Cape Town, where his work explores the intersection of criminal law, human rights, and social justice.
Daniel proposes an innovative solution through a "hybrid" definition of ecocide, that balances environmental protection with human rights.
His approach addresses developing nations' concerns about restricting their growth while maintaining robust environmental protections.
The conference can be attended in person and online.
Can the ICJ’s Climate Ruling Save the Planet?
📅 Join us on Wednesday, September 24, at 7 PM for a new IDN Interview !
IDN France - Initiatives for Nuclear Disarmament will welcome Kate Mackintosh, Executive Director and Professor from Practice at the UCLA Law Promise Institute Europe, and Dr. Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, Associate Professor of Law at the University of Amsterdam, and member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
Register Here 📝
Vacancy: Legal Advisor
The Promise Institute for Human Rights at UCLA is seeking a Legal Advisor for its Europe location. Working closely with the Executive Director, the Legal Advisor will contribute to all aspects of the Institute’s development, with a focus on legal research and drafting as well as project management. As a key member of a small team in a fast-developing Institute, the Legal Advisor must be able to work independently and to take a leadership role on relevant initiatives. This is an exciting opportunity for a talented human rights lawyer to contribute their skills and expertise to empowering the next generation of human rights lawyers, scholars and leaders, and transforming the promise of human rights into a reality for more people around the world.
Ecocide Bibliography Highlight
In The First Ecocide Treaty? (EJIL:Talk!, June 2025), Daniel Bertram traces the shifting legal definitions of ecocide from the 1970s to today, advocating for a definition that is both flexible and forward-looking. His analysis emphasises the importance of including reckless acts and omissions, while cautioning against rigid cost-benefit limitations.
Two Inspiring Books for Late Summer
Nature Matters, edited by Mona Arshi and Karen McCarthy Woolf, gathers African, Asian, and Caribbean diaspora voices to reimagine environmentalism and ecopoetics. Woolf, our 2020 Poet in Residence at the UCLA Promise Institute, explored the intersections of poetry, law, and capitalism’s impacts on marginalised communities.
In A Barrister for the Earth, pioneering barrister Monica Feria-Tinta takes us behind the scenes of landmark legal cases defending rivers, forests, and endangered species. Feria-Tinta, a distinguished speaker at our 2024 launch conference, shared insights into the groundbreaking ITLOS Advisory Opinion on climate change.
We are seeking a New Executive Director
We are seeking an Executive Director to help lead and advance our mission to provide the premier legal education in the field of human rights, empower the next generation of human rights lawyers, scholars and leaders, and to transform the promise of human rights into a reality for more people around the world.