UDTR — Radar mondial des droits de la Nature

Environmental justice beyond anthropocentrism: A case for the recognition of the Ogoni river, Lake Bogoria, the Monchongoi forest and similar natural entities as rights holders under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights

Identification

Clé publique

doi:10.29053/978-1-0672374-3-1_20

Auteurs

Oluwatosin Senami Adegun

Année déclarée

2026

Langue déclarée

en

Type source

book-chapter

Première détection

2026-11-09T19:04:47.667277+00:00

Dernière observation des métadonnées

2026-11-09T19:06:03.681084+00:00

Dernière vérification HTTP

Non effectuée

Institutions déclarées par la source

University of Pretoria

Pays d’affiliation déclarés

ZA

Résumé documentaire — langue originale

Article 24 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Charter) guarantees peoples’ right to a general satisfactory environment. However, recognition of natural entities as legal entities with rights to preservation, conservation and restoration is not explicit in the African Charter. The cases of SERAC and Endorois affirmed the inextricable link between indigenous peoples, people in local communities and their environment. The environment includes natural entities such as the Ogoni rivers in Nigeria, Lake Bogoria and the Monchongoi forest in Kenya. Mineral extraction impacts the environment. Remedy for environmental damage is key for accountability and the integrity of the environment which are principles in the Guiding Principles on Critical Energy Transition Minerals. Actual and potential damage to the Ogoni rivers, Lake Bogoria and the Monchongoi forest was found in SERAC and Endorois. However, remedy for the harmed Ogoni rivers, Lake Bogoria and the Monchongoi forest was not distinctively addressed because of the anthropocentric approach of the claims. Anthropocentric approach of the claims is to the effect that the claims were exclusively about addressing the violations of the rights of the human beings because the rivers, the lake and the forest were not considered rights holders deserving of distinct remedy. By an anthropocentric approach to environmental justice, claims to remedy the harmed environment can only be brought when there is actual or potential injury to human beings. The fact that distinct claims on behalf of the Ogoni rivers, Lake Bogoria and the Monchongoi forest were not submitted to the African Commission is the result of the lack of explicit mention of their rights to preservation, conservation and remedy in the African Charter, and consequent non-recognition of natural entities as rights holders under the African Charter. Accountability for environmental harm in Africa cannot be achieved using only an anthropocentric approach without an eco-centric approach that aims to protect the natural entities based on their intrinsic worth. This chapter examines the extent to which the Ogoni rivers, Lake Bogoria, the Monchongoi forest and other similar natural entities are rights holders under the African Charter, and the extent to which distinctive claims can be filed on their behalf before the African Commission and the African Court to remedy harm caused to them. Thus, using a doctrinal method of research, it is argued that implicit in ‘peoples’ in article 24 of the African Charter is the recognition of the Ogoni rivers, Lake Bogoria, the Monchongoi forest and other similar natural entities as rights holders. Rights of the natural entities to preservation, conservation and restoration are also implicit in article 24 of the African Charter. In addition, by applying the concept of biocultural rights used in the Colombian Constitutional Court’s Atrato River case, it is further argued that the concept of biocultural rights (which is a combination of nature and culture) is inherent in article 24 of the African Charter. Consequently, the protection of the rights of natural entities to preservation, conservation and restoration falls within the protective mandates of the African Commission and the African Court. Therefore, indigenous peoples, people in local communities and CSOs can on behalf of the natural entities submit claims to the African Commission and the African Court.

Identifiants

OPENALEX

W7225307894

DOI

10.29053/978-1-0672374-3-1_20

Repères documentaires

Famille documentaire

Chapitre d’ouvrage

Types déclarés par les sources

book-chapter

Entités naturelles mentionnées

Fleuve / rivière · Lac · Forêt

Les mentions d’entités ne constituent pas une preuve de reconnaissance juridique. La juridiction étudiée est distincte du pays d’affiliation des auteurs.

Description bibliographique du livre

Disponibilité non établie

Sources

OpenAlex · Document 1 · Document 2

• DOI · https://doi.org/10.29053/978-1-0672374-3-1_20
• OpenAlex · https://openalex.org/W7225307894

Statut documentaire

Pertinence à examiner

Bibliothèque

Cette identité n’est pas encore intégrée à la Bibliothèque juridique.