Internationale Rechte für die Natur?

This novel way of protection and recognition of nature’s unique values provides a welcome opportunity to reflect on the ways in which international law has also drawn on and developed protection schemes for natural entities. The essay argues that international law recognises rights of nature in two ways: first, as a national approach to nature and biodiversity protection and second, as a way to recognize international entities. I show this by examining customary international law in the Americas, and by drawing on the current framework of international biodiversity law, above all the CBD, but also the novel agreement on the protection of marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).