In an initiative to protect the River Seine, the Paris City Council has adopted a resolution recommending that the French parliament recognize the river as a legal entity. This innovative move is part of a global trend where nature is granted legal rights to defend its ecosystem against harm. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo emphasized the need for the Seine to be recognized as a subject of law. Citizens also proposed essential rights for the river, reflecting a growing awareness of environmental conservation as vital for the ecosystem's future.
"The Seine must be able to defend itself, as a subject of law and not as an object, because it will always be under attack," said Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo.
In a world first, New Zealand in 2017 recognised the Whanganui River revered by Indigenous people as a living entity, with legislation combining Western legal precedent and Maori beliefs.
Fifty citizens chosen at random proposed granting the Seine fundamental rights such as "the right to exist, to flow and to regenerate".
The Seine must be considered an ecosystem that "no one can claim ownership of", where the preservation of life must "take precedence over everything".
Collection
[
|
...
]