Join the Sussex Sustainability Research Programme (SSRP) Centre of Excellence during the week of International Forest Day 2024 for thought-provoking discussions led by SSRP Research Fellow Prof Mika Peck (School of Life Sciences) and award winning human rights expert and filmmaker Dr Malcolm Rogge (University of Exeter), alongside Dr Jo Smallwood (School of Law) and Dr Evan Killick (School of Global Studies).

Come along as we explore the the challenges faced by Human Rights and 'Rights of Nature' through a film screening and insightful Q&A session. Hosted on Friday, 22 March 2024, from 13:00 to 15:00, this event will feature Dr Malcolm Rogge’s powerful documentary The Tribunal which illustrates the challenges to Rights of the opaque investor-state dispute mechanism in Ecuador's Intag Valley, alongside SSRP-funded short films on the topic.

The Intag Valley of Ecuador, one of the most densely biodiverse environments on the planet, faces an immense threat from mining companies and deforestation. This pivotal ecosystem has become a battleground for environmental activists, including Prof Mika Peck and his ecoforensic team. Over the past decade, their research projects in the region have provided crucial ecological information and evidence in court hearings, leading to significant legal victories such as the revocation of the Environmental License for the Llurimagua mining project in 2023.

Dr Malcolm Rogge’s short film centres around the research sites, where the community recently achieved a significant legal victory based on Human Rights and Rights of Nature against the Chilean state mining company CODELCO. It serves as a testament to the power of grassroots activism and environmental justice while highlighting the injustices inherent in the International investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) system.

Dr Rogge comments on his film: “The Tribunal is about the inequities pervading the exclusive and opaque ISDS system – a system that has increasingly come under scrutiny by policy makers and civil society. Critics of the system, including those interviewed in the film, argue that it is undermining the ability of governments to protect people and the environment and to take action on climate change. The Tribunal shows how people around the world are calling for reform or its replacement with a more transparent and just way of resolving investor-state disputes.”

Through beautiful imagery and powerful interviews, the film highlights the human impact of such disputes and sheds light on the complexities of environmental and human rights issues in the context of investment arbitration. The Tribunal, premiered at Columbia Law School in New York City where it was introduced by the UN Secretary General’s Special Representative on Human Rights and the Environment, David Boyd, who described the documentary as "a very powerful and moving film - the people interviewed radiate integrity, and the natural beauty of the region is stunning. This film will help people to understand more clearly the injustices perpetuated by investor-state dispute resolution mechanisms."

Echoing this, Peter Muchlinski from Oxford University Press, states that it "offers a strong argument for tribunals being more open to human rights issues and to gather relevant evidence from local witnesses and also from site visits. With some noble and laudable exceptions of individuals who are already doing this, arbitrators and legal counsel must wake up to their responsibilities as international lawyers and integrate human rights properly into ISDS to ensure justice for those adversely affected by irresponsible and illegal corporate behaviour. A good starting point would be to watch this film and listen to the voices of the people thus heard.”

Save your spot and join us as we explore the Rights of Nature through the lens of film, research, and activism. 
Please register via Tickettailor to help us arrange enough refreshments for everyone attending. 

A mural located in the streets of Ecuador depicting the words "Forests without mining" in Spanish, reading "Bosques sin minería".