Future Perfect

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] 14

Ecuador: promoting the rights of nature

María Fernanda Espinosa, Coordination Minister of Heritage, Ecuador

wenty years after the United Nations Conference on

Sustainable Development in Rio in 1992, the world faces

multiple crises in the realms of finance, economy, energy,

food, climate and environment. These are symptoms of the crisis

of the economic model and the conventional styles of devel-

opment. The weak implementation of commitments to reach

sustainable development shows the world that the structural

causes of unsustainability of the current development model

still remain.

It is important to recognize that the economic system is a subsystem

of the global ecosystem. This implies that the ecological principles

of the Earth’s sustainability are superior to the principles of the

traditional economic system. In consequence, the economic system’s

long-term development should follow the principles of evolution of

the global ecosystem.

In Ecuador, discussion of the development model and the biophysical

limits of the planet became a key issue when the Government of President

Rafael Correa took office in 2007, and especially during the drafting of the

new Constitution in 2008, adopted through popular vote.

The Constitution framed the development model in the paradigm

of Buen Vivir (life at its fullest). This concept is in itself an alter-

native to development, which seeks to replace a model based on

economic growth that has led to poverty, inequity and exclusion.

Buen Vivir is a process in construction, based on the traditional

knowledge of indigenous peoples and nationalities.

Buen Vivir implies living in harmony with oneself, with nature

and with others, while building democratic, inclusive, plurinational

and intercultural states. It also requires full respect for the rights

of individuals, communities, peoples and nationalities,

while they exercise their responsibilities interculturally,

with respect for diversity and in harmony with nature.

Another main aspect of the Constitution is the

recognition of the Rights of Nature, making this the

first constitution in the world to recognize such rights.

Nature or Mother Earth, where life is reproduced and

carried out, is no longer considered an object but a

subject, with a right to its own existence, maintenance

and regeneration of its vital cycles, structure, functions

and evolutionary processes.

Ecuador’s Constitution

is extremely progressive in relation to recognizing the

limits of Nature.

With those two basic paradigm shifts, under Ecuador’s

Constitution, to reach Buen Vivir demands the integra-

tion of five pillars: economic, political, social, cultural

and environmental.

The Buen Vivir paradigm implies work in the follow-

ing areas: improve the quality of life; build a just,

democratic, productive and sustainable economic

model based on the equal distribution of the benefits

of development, the means of production and the

generation of stable and dignifying work; promote

participation with equity and social control; recover

and conserve nature and maintain a safe and sustain-

able environment; guarantee national sovereignty and

promote Latin American integration; promote territo-

rial development with equity; and protect and promote

cultural diversity.

nvironment

legal

and

ethical

issues

Yasuni National Park

Ecuador highlands

Image: Francisco Caizapanta

Image: Elder Bravo