‘Ecocide’: Where international law stands in tackling war toll on environment, Pg11

Key Highlights:

• Lebanon recently accused Israel of committing "ecocide" during its 2023-24 invasion, alleging reshaping of its landscape.
• Iran's foreign minister accused Israel of ecocide after bombings of fuel depots led to "black rain".
• Environmental groups advocate for inclusion of 'ecocide' as an international crime under the Rome Statute.
• The Council of Europe adopted a convention in 2025 criminalizing severe environmental destruction.

Detailed Insights:

• Ecocide refers to significant environmental harm caused by human actions, coined in 1970 by Prof Arthur W Galston, in context of the Vietnam War's environmental devastation.
• Many nations, including Vietnam, Russia, Ukraine, Chile, France, and Belgium, have incorporated ecocide into their domestic laws.
• Existing international laws are anthropocentric, focusing on human harm, while ecocide emphasizes environmental damage as a separate entity.
• The Rome Statute recognizes environmental damage as a war crime only during war, requiring intentional attacks causing widespread, long-term, and severe damage.
• Prosecution is complicated as some involved nations aren't State Parties to the ICC, and most international instruments lack enforceable criminal liability for environmental harm.
• The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) recognized ecocide as a crime in October 2023, encouraging states to include it in domestic and international law.
• Including ecocide in the Rome Statute requires a 2/3rds majority vote from State Parties at the Assembly of States Parties.
• The Council of Europe's 2025 convention allows prosecution in European courts for severe environmental destruction, even if committed abroad.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Rome Statute: Treaty governing the International Criminal Court, listing genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression.
• Anthropocentric: Human-centered perspective, prioritizing human interests and well-being.