Ecocide: A 21st Century International Crime in the Making?

Event details

In this CTPSR Webinar, Dr Suwita Hani Randhawa, a Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations, the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), will speak about the issue of whether ecocide will come to be recognised as an international crime.

Abstract

Under international law, only four acts are currently recognised as international crimes: genocide, aggression, war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, there is presently a growing global movement, spearheaded by Stop Ecocide International and supported by networks of academics, lawyers, climate activists, governments, and prominent individuals, calling for ecocide to be made into an international crime.

This raises a critical question that stands to revolutionize the future landscape of international criminal justice: Will ecocide come to be recognised by the international community as the fifth international crime? Importantly, this question cannot be answered without an appreciation of the concept of international criminalization.

Drawing on a novel theoretical framework directed at analysing how and why the process of international criminalization unfolds, this paper examines ecocide’s prospects of being established as the fifth international crime. Through a systematic analysis of historical and contemporary efforts undertaken by state and non-state actors to criminalize ecocide, the paper will also demonstrate what the dynamics of international criminalization in the 21st century are, as well as how they differ to earlier instances of criminalization in the immediate aftermath of the Second World War.

Audience

This event is open to faculty, students, and any interested members of the public from across the University as well as externally.

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