UDTR Global Rights of Nature Radar

The rights of nature, the legal personhood of ecosystems, and the conceptual limitations of the law

Identification

Public canonical key

oai:isegoria.revistas.csic.es:article/1574

Authors

de Armenteras Cabot, Marcos

Reported year

2025

Reported language

und · esl/spa

Source type

Article

First detected

2026-11-09T19:04:47.524247+00:00

Last metadata observation

2026-11-09T19:04:47.524247+00:00

Last HTTP verification

Not checked

Documentary abstract — original language

El reconocimiento de derechos a la naturaleza ha experimentado un desarrollo significativo en el ordenamiento jurídico contemporáneo. Este fenómeno se sustenta en el postulado del valor intrínseco de los sistemas naturales, que reclama protección jurídica independientemente de su instrumentalidad para el ser humano. La creciente positivización de estos derechos ha generado un intenso debate doctrinal acerca de la pertinencia y eficacia de la atribución de subjetividad jurídica a entidades no humanas. El presente estudio realiza un análisis de los dos principales modelos jurídicos desarrollados para este fin: (1) la atribución directa de derechos subjetivos a la naturaleza stricto sensu, y (2) la concesión de personalidad jurídica a ecosistemas específicos. Mediante el examen de la regulación normativa y la jurisprudencia de tres casos paradigmáticos —Ecuador, España y Nueva Zelanda— se identifican y problematizan las tensiones teóricas inherentes a estas construcciones jurídicas. El estudio revela deficiencias estructurales en la fundamentación dogmática de los derechos de la naturaleza que requieren una revisión crítica exhaustiva. The recognition of rights to nature has undergone significant development in contemporary legal systems. This phenomenon is grounded in the postulate of the intrinsic value of natural systems, which demands legal protection regardless of its instrumentality for humans. The growing positivization of these rights has generated intense doctrinal debate about the appropriateness and effectiveness of granting legal subjectivity to non-human entities. This study conducts an analysis of the two main legal models developed for this purpose: (1) the direct recognition of subjective rights to nature stricto sensu, and (2) the granting of legal personality to specific ecosystems. Through examination of regulatory frameworks and jurisprudence from three paradigmatic cases — Ecuador, Spain and New Zealand— the study identifies and problematizes the inherent theoretical tensions in these legal constructs. The research reveals structural deficiencies in the dogmatic foundations of rights of nature that require comprehensive critical review.

Identifiers

OAI

isegoria.revistas.csic.es:article/1574

Documentary context

Documentary family

Scholarship

Source-reported types

Article

Jurisdictions studied — explicit sources

EC · ES · NZ

Natural entities mentioned

Ecosystem

Entity mentions are not evidence of legal recognition. Jurisdiction studied is separate from author affiliation country.

Sources

OpenAIRE · Record 1

• Document · https://isegoria.revistas.csic.es/index.php/isegoria/article/view/1574

Documentary status

Included in the Legal Library

Library