The Wild Law Institute, on behalf of itself and members of the African Hub of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature (GARN), has made a formal submission to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights to help shape the interpretation of Article 24 of the African Charter – the right of all peoples to “a general satisfactory environment favourable to their development.”

The submission argues that this right cannot be realised unless it is understood alongside a corresponding duty to protect, restore and regenerate the living systems upon which all life depends. Drawing on African ancestral jurisprudence, developments in international law, and the growing global recognition of the Rights of Nature, the submission proposes that the Commission’s General Comment should affirm that healthy ecosystems are not simply resources for human use, but the living foundation of all human rights.

The submission calls for an interpretation of Article 24 that reflects Africa’s rich legal traditions of relationality and responsibility, recognising that humans are part of the wider Earth Community and have legal duties to maintain its health and integrity. By embedding these principles within the African human rights framework, the Commission has an opportunity to strengthen environmental protection while honouring the continent’s own jurisprudential heritage.

Ms. Mphatheleni Makaulule, Mr. Gathuru Mburu, and Dr. Dickson Adom provide insight into African Cosmology, Ancestral Wisdom, and Rights of Nature in practice, as well as exploring the connection between Rivers, the legal & ethical frontiers of Rights of Nature, and Indigenous Knowledge systems.

Learn more about the various projects and initiatives taking place in South Africa, Kenya and Ghana.

Ms. Mphatheleni Makaulule is an Indigenous Knowledge practitioner. She is a founder of Dzomo la Mupo, a board member of the Wild Law Institute, an Eco-Mapping Facilitator for EarthLife Africa, and has a Masters degree from the University of Venda. She will take us to the Vhembe Biosphere Reserve, to discuss how reviving indigenous customs and values can be used as a practical solution to plastic pollution, wetland degradation, and even help restore the Mudzinga River.

Mr. Gathuru Mburu is and Environmental Practitioner and advocate, with a Master’s degree in Environmental Management and Planning, as well as a facilitator for the GARN African Hub. He will spotlight the Kathita River, and discuss Kenyan efforts to formally recognise the rights the River, as the river faces serious threats from water obstructions and climate impact.

Dr. Dickson Adom is a senior lecturer at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, and a director of the Right of Nature Ghana Movement. He is pushing back against river destruction caused by illegal mining along the Gyeme River.

Dr Dickson Adom, a valued member of the GARN African Hub, offers a compelling and timely call for ecological justice in his work on the Gyeme River in Ghana. His article highlights the urgent need to recognise rivers as living entities with inherent rights. This is part of a growing global movement that is reshaping environmental law and governance.

Focusing on the Gyeme River in the Atatem community, Dr Adom powerfully illustrates how ecological degradation, driven by illegal mining (galamsey), threatens not only biodiversity and water systems but also deep cultural and spiritual relationships between people and Nature.

His work stands out for its ability to bridge rigorous legal and scientific analysis with indigenous knowledge systems, demonstrating that the concept of Rights of Nature is not foreign to Africa, but deeply rooted in longstanding traditions of ecological wisdom.

Through collaboration with local communities and the Rights of Nature Ghana Movement, Dr Adom has supported the development of a proposed by-law to protect the Gyeme River, an important step toward legal recognition and community-led conservation. His advocacy reflects the African Hub’s core values: advancing inclusive, non-anthropocentric legal frameworks, strengthening environmental governance, and elevating African leadership in the global Rights of Nature movement.

We congratulate Dr Adom for this work, a powerful example of how locally grounded, culturally informed legal innovation can drive meaningful environmental protection.

On 30 March 2026, the Wild Law Institute, together with 20 African organisations from across the continent, submitted a landmark amicus brief to the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights.

The brief argues that the climate crisis cannot be addressed without recognising the intrinsic value of Nature, the fact that humans are part of Nature, the interdependence of all life, and the obligations of States to protect both human and more-than-human beings, in present and future generations.

It brings African legal traditions, Earth jurisprudence, and the Rights of Nature into the heart of climate law, calling for accountability, ecological integrity, and justice.

Integrating and celebrating the wisdom of African peoples, this initiative advocates how traditional knowledge and deep respect for all life have been woven into cultural practices for generations. By bringing African rich perspectives to the forefront of the international rights of nature movement, we demonstrate that Indigenous communities have long embodied the principles of harmonious coexistence with all beings. Our mission welcomes African voices in global conversations, recognizing that Indigenous understanding can significantly contribute to worldwide environmental efforts and guide us toward a more harmonious relationship with the natural world, free of exploitation.