Invitation for the Launch of the Hague Principles and the Earth Trusteeship Initiative

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Dec 10, 2018, 04:02 ET

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, December 10, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

Monday, 10 December 2018 marks the 70^th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. On this day, "The Hague Principles for a Universal Declaration on Responsibilities for Human Rights and Earth Trusteeship" will be made public in the Peace Palace, The Hague, starting at 9 a.m. An appeal of a wide range of human rights and environmental organisations to governments, corporates, civil society and everyone to endorse the "Hague Principles". This can be done through the website http://www.earthtrusteeship.world which also gives access to the full text of the Hague Principles.

Earth Trusteeship Initiative

The Earth Trusteeship Initiative calls for a new dimension of local, national and global governance. It is about responsibilities that we have towards each other (human rights) and the earth (Earth trusteeship). Likewise, states and governments need to act as trustees for human rights and the earth. The Hague Principles can form the cornerstone for all organisations that engage in the process of getting a Universal Declaration and the governance and legal practices implemented that support it. The Earth Trusteeship Initiative launches its principles and global campaign activities in the context of joined and renewed efforts to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - in particular SDG 16 and 17.

Why now?

Climate change, loss of biodiversity, loss of habitable land, civil wars and lack of access to livelihoods are all real. These are not caused by the animals that die out, they are caused by people. All nations and all people are affected by this. We live on one planet. While many experts, NGOs, and some others work on these issues, most corporations, politicians and government agencies can still exploit the Earth for their own interest because of failing laws from the past. The Earth Trusteeship Initiative calls for this to be remedied with great urgency.

What kind of world do we want to create?

We want a world where governance can be effective for the earth as a whole and for all living beings including humans. To achieve that we need to focus on responsibilities that people, organisations, corporations and our governments have for human rights, for future generations, for nature, non-human animals and the earth.

Program 10^th December 2018 (Registration via the website http://www.earthtrusteeship.world)

Morning: Launching of the principles: Seminar Room, Peace Palace, The Hague, 9 am - 1 pm;

Afternoon: Dialogue and planning of next steps: Elisabeth Vreedehuis, 2 pm - 4.30 pm.

Initial steering committee (in alphabetical order): Nnimmo Bassey, Nigeria; Klaus Bosselmann, New Zealand; Bert de Graaff, the Netherlands; Prue Taylor, New Zealand; Leo van der Vlist, the Netherlands; Hans and Wallapa van Willenswaard, Thailand; Rembrandt Zegers, the Netherlands / UK.