The proposal of "Mother Earth as a Living Being with Rights" was presented during the Meeting of the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas.

Representatives and senators from Latin America, Canada, and the United States were invited to participate in the XXIX Meeting of the Executive Committee of the Parliamentary Confederation of the Americas (COPA), where the Commission on Environment and Sustainable Development met in conjunction with the Executive Committee of the Network of Women Parliamentarians of the Americas.

For the first time Puerto Rico hosted this meeting, which took place from April 15^th to 17^th, at the Capitol to discuss the integration of the Executive Committee of COPA and define the aspects related to the next Assembly to be held in Mexico.

The Environmental Committee and Sustainable Development of COPA extended the invitation to Dr. William Soto, Executive President of the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace (GEAP), to present the topic of Ecocide. The purpose of this commission is to analyze issues related to environmental quality, climate change, biodiversity conservation, sustainable use of resources and urban development, as well as issues related to the management of disasters with Environmental consequences.

Dr. Soto presented the global project "CHILDREN OF MOTHER EARTH", for which he stated:

"It frames a series of initiatives, campaigns and actions in the legal and educational field, with the main objective to recognize Mother Earth as a living being , based on the ancestral, scientific and humanistic postulates that support this conception:

It is here and now, agreeing a commitment between those who make up the PARLIAMENTARY CONFEDERATION OF THE AMERICAS, framed in the following guidelines:

1. To recognize that Mother Earth is a living being, and as such has rights that must be protected and preserved. These rights are already embedded in the World Charter for Nature, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in its Resolution 37/7 of October 28th, 1982. The defense of Mother Earth’s rights must have the same value and Binding nature that has now been conferred to Human Rights, and therefore, its insertion in the Constitutional Letters of the respective countries, and in its secondary laws, should be encouraged.
2. To promote adherence, through signature and ratification, to the World Charter for Nature, adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in its resolution 37/7 of October 28, 1982. (If it is yet to be done in your respective Governments).
3. To order an internal review of the environmental legislation of the country in order to determine whether it meets the objectives of establishing public policies to reverse or at least halt the degradation of ecosystems, geosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and Other collateral problems.
4. Independent of the proposal that has been promoted by the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace to make Ecocide the Fifth Crime jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, proceed to the appropriate definition of that crime in their national criminal laws. The review of integral legal instruments and particularly the federal criminal coding, for setting up the crimes for damage to nature is necessary. If they do not exist, proceed to incorporate them, so that in addition to pursuing reparations, those responsible are severely punished. In addition to boosting the necessary changes at the legislative level, so that enforcement systems and administration of justice implement the creation of specialized prosecutors and public observatories in the investigation and prosecution of environmental crimes where they still do not exist; as well as the establishment in the judiciary field, the specialized Courts in charge of administering justice for the attacks Mother Earth suffers. In this same order, it is proposed, at the regional level, the creation of a COURT OF THE AMERICAS FOR MOTHER EARTH, specializing in the prosecution and punishment of crimes against Mother Earth in the American territory.
5. Unify all existing environmental legislation in the international ambit, based on the various bilateral and multilateral treaties that have been approved and ratified by each of their countries in the protection and preservation of the environment and natural resources; And to proceed to adapt these treaties in domestic legislation, in the respective Constitutions and secondary laws.
6. Establish educational and communication programs on the environmental issue, in a mandatory and cross-cutting manner, in formal and informal education systems, public and private media, families, communities, companies and public bodies, for the promotion and formation of green sustainable citizenship, so that the new generations grow with the awareness of the recognition of our Mother Earth as a living being, and the civic commitment to defend their rights, to protect everything that conforms and make good use of Its resources in a harmonious and sustainable way.

In conclusion, we propose the adoption of a Parliamentary Pact of the Americas with the guidelines that have been set in the previous six points; so that a firm commitment is established among the legislators present to work for the fulfillment of these goals; counting with the continued support of the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace for the preparation of draft laws or relevant initiatives.

After the presentation, the proposal was welcomed and debated by some parliamentarians. This initiative will also be presented during the General Assembly of COPA in Mexico.

(Read the complete lecture of Dr. William Soto Santiago during the event)