Legal Blog
The WYCJ Legal blog publishes contributions on the climate crisis and its impacts on youth's rights and the environment.
We try to enhance collaboration between actors—lawyers, academics, and non-governmental organisations—related to climate action, the intergenerational equity principle, or WYCJ’s campaign.
The WYCJ Legal blog aims to create momentum around WYCJ’s initiative by producing legal content referring to the implementation of a rights-based approach to the climate crisis and the utilization of international legal mechanisms to clarify and develop international environmental law.
This is the international section of the blog, where pieces are originally written and submitted in English.
How the UNGA’s landmark Resolution Recognising Clean, Healthy, Sustainable Environment as Human Right will bolster Climate Action?
On 28 July 2022, by a recorded vote of 161 in favor and zero against, with eight abstentions, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) passed a resolution recognizing the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment as a human right. The UNGA called upon States, international organizations, businesses, and other stakeholders to “scale up efforts” to ensure a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment for all.
Friends of the initiative Stories: Earth Advocacy Youth
The rights of Nature were introduced as a legal concept in the 1970s. It is based on legal personhood for “Nature” - ecosystems - and its rights to exist, thrive, and regenerate being codified in law. However, the roots of the rights of Nature are deeper than human law. They are a manifestation of the already existing intrinsic value of the countless beings within the web of life we are all part of, and a way for western law to conceptualise this value.
The International Protection of Youth and Children Displaced by Climate Change
This blog entry addresses the need for international protection of youth and children displaced by the effects of climate change. Accordingly, (1) the special vulnerability of youth and children to climate-related displacement is shown; (2) the existing legal framework protecting children and youth in the context of climate change-related displacement is explored, (3) and it is explained how international adjudication might help develop a uniform standard for their protection.
Non-regression in Climate action and the Rights of Present and Future Generations
In this blog-post we seek to unpack the principle of non-regression, clarifying its legal status under international environmental law and human rights law, and analyzing the potential of this principle in protecting the rights of present and future generations in the face of regressive climate policies.
WYCJ Blog Jurídico
El blog jurídico de la WYCJ publica contribuciones sobre la crisis climática y sus repercusiones en los derechos de las juventudesy el medio ambiente.
Intentamos fomentar la colaboración entre actores -abogados, académicos y organizaciones no gubernamentales- en relación con la acción por el clima, el principio de equidad intergeneracional o la campaña de WYCJ.
El blog jurídico de WYCJ pretende generar impulso en torno a la iniciativa de WYCJ mediante la producción de contenido legal que aborde la aplicación de un enfoque basado en derechos frente a la crisis climática , así como la utilización de mecanismos jurídicos internacionales para aclarar y desarrollar el derecho medioambiental internacional.
Esta es la sección en español del blog, donde los escritores pueden compartir entradas del blog escritas originalmente en español y compartir sus perspectivas con un enfoque en América Latina, el sistema interamericano de protección de los derechos humanos y, en general, los países de habla hispana.
Symposia
Editors for the Legal Blog
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Erika Vite, Editor
Erika is currently studying Law at Universidad Panamericana in Mexico. Throughout her academic journey, she has shown a strong interest in International Human Rights Law, actively participating in academic competitions, seminars, and conferences, as well as interning at various NGOs.
Email: erika@wy4cj.org
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Linn Pfitzner, Editor
Linn has an interdisciplinary background in international law and politics and holds an LL.M. in Global Environment and Climate Change Law from the University of Edinburgh. They have experience developing climate policy in the public sector, having worked at the European Parliament and the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ). Linn’s research interests include operationalising intergenerational fairness in climate policy-making and finding equitable legal solutions for addressing non-economic loss and damage.
Email: linn@wy4cj.org
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Maria-Christina Achilleoude, Editor
Maria-Christina Achilleoude has completed both a Bachelor of Laws and a Master of Laws at the London School of Economics & Political Science. She also holds a Master of Arts from the Courtauld Institute of Art (London) where she specialised in Global Conceptualism. Her interests lie in more-than-human rights, environmental law, public international law and critical theory. Her current research explores the potential of advancing more-than-human right approaches to articulate an ecocentric conception of climate justice and the limitations of these approaches in environmental and climate justice litigations.
Email: maria-christina@wy4cj.org
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Eleonora Raus, Editor
Eleonora Raus has completed a Bachelor of Laws at University College London and a Master of Laws at the London School of Economics & Political Science. Her interests lie in human rights, environmental law and public international law. Currently she works as a paralegal at a law firm specialising in medical negligence and personal injury litigation, and has recently received a Lincoln's Inn scholarship to pursue the Bar in England.
Email: eleonora@wy4cj.org
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Robin Happel, Editor
Robin is a freelance writer and has previously served as a Global Goals Ambassador for Climate Action for the UN Association and Expert Reviewer for the AR6 in addition to volunteering with WYCJ. She is originally from east Tennessee, and is passionate about supporting a just transition for frontline and fenceline communities.
Email: robin@wy4cj.org
How to submit a blog post?
WYCJ is inviting youth from around the world to contribute to the Legal Blog:
Share your voices!
We welcome contributions on all topics relating to climate justice and in line with the mission of the legal blog. Posts may be strictly informative (e.g. provide an analysis of important cases to inform the general public) and/or provide a forum for academic debate by introducing original and novel ideas, perspectives, and interpretations on climate justice from a legal point of view. For more information on how to write and submit a blog post, please read the Legal Blog Post Guide, which you can find below.
If you are interested in writing a blog post, please submit a topic proposal or a first draft of your post to any of the editors of the editorial board of the WYCJ Legal Blog above.
It should be noted that publication is not guaranteed, and a decision to publish may be subject to revisions.