What rights for ocean?

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS: Towards the recognition of the rights of the Ocean and marine life – What role for informal education in this transformation?

The Ocean covers more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, hosts the majority of the planet’s biodiversity, regulates the climate, and produces more than half of the oxygen we breathe… yet it remains one of the most exploited, least understood, and least protected ecosystems on the planet.

In the face of the oceanic crisis, a fundamental question is emerging: what if the Ocean were recognized as a subject of law?

Legal, ecological, and philosophical perspectives are increasingly converging toward a recognition of the Rights of the Ocean and marine life—not as resources serving human needs, but as autonomous living entities, worthy of respect, protection, and legal consideration in their own right.

But such a shift cannot take place without a profound transformation of our collective worldviews, particularly through informal education—understood as a set of learning experiences outside formal or academic frameworks, rooted in sensory engagement, practice, and relationship.

A cross-cutting approach between SDG 14 and SDG 4
This call for contributions also explores the bidirectionality between two Sustainable Development Goals:
- SDG 14: Life below water → How can we recognize and guarantee the rights of the Ocean and marine life?
- SDG 4: Quality education → How can informal education support a transformation in human-ocean relationships from a non-anthropocentric perspective?

In turn, rethinking education beyond dominant frameworks may also nourish new legal, social, and cultural visions of the Ocean.



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On the occasion of the 14th Annual International Conference on the Rights of Nature for Peace and Development


Within the framework of the 17th Geneva Forum, this annual conference offers a high-level interactive session to be held from Monday, December 8, 2025 at 2:00 PM to Wednesday, December 10, 2025 at 12:00 PM, in Geneva, bringing together key actors to discuss informal educational models and practices that place nature at the center of concern. This event is organized in partnership with the Geneva Forum, the NGO Objectif Sciences International, Eco Jurisprudence Monitor, the University of Oregon, and the UN program Harmony With Nature.


 Call for Contributions

We invite:
- Actors promoting the Rights of Nature: associations, federations, NGOs,
- Lawyers and legal activists,
- Educators, facilitators, science communicators, trainers, and teachers,
- Public institutions, international organizations...
- Activists and campaigners
- Entrepreneurs
- Researchers in law, education, and marine ecology, as well as philosophers,
- Local communities connected to marine environments, and any stakeholder involved in marine environmental protection...

to actively contribute to the reflection on the Rights of Nature and Informal Education for a non-anthropocentric relationship with Nature as a powerful leverage point. Help develop unconventional educational practices and share your ideas, projects, initiatives, or concepts contributing to this transformation.

Submit your contributions!

We invite submissions around the following two focus areas:

- Rights of the Ocean and marine life: innovative legal frameworks, local or international initiatives, alliances between Indigenous peoples, lawyers and environmentalists, or political experiments recognizing the Ocean as a subject of law.
- Informal education and transforming the relationship with the sea: unconventional pedagogical approaches, immersive or artistic experiences, and non-anthropocentric educational practices that reconnect humans and marine environments—especially for younger generations.
We are looking for contributions that:

- Present legal or policy innovations that recognize the rights of nature, with a focus on Ocean rights;
- Propose new educational practices and formats that are informal, innovative, and incorporate Ocean Rights to raise awareness among the public, young generations, and professionals about the need to view nature as a rights-bearing subject;
- Offer concrete solutions for integrating Ocean Rights into local or international legislation, as well as educational projects that reimagine our relationship with the living world;
- Provide concrete examples of non-formal education or community-based initiatives that defend the rights of the Ocean or challenge anthropocentric paradigms.

Selected contributions may be presented as talks, speeches, workshops, POSTERS, or during professional meetups throughout the event. Proposals will be evaluated based on their potential legal implications and educational impact, and may lead to deeper discussions, future collaborations, or funding opportunities.

● If you wish to propose a topic for the short presentations, please fill out the form at the bottom of this page.

● If you would like to consult the workshop program, please visit the page of the International Annual Conference on Rights of Nature for Peace and Development.

 Workshop Program

  • Monday morning: Welcome and collection of badges UN Ground Pass
  • Monday afternoon: Introduction session
    - Presentation of the “Ocean Rights” cycle and of the participants
    - Informal networking session among members of the “Nature Rights” community
    - Preparation time for speakers and co-facilitators of the next day’s interactive session
  • Tuesday morning: Poster session and networking with other participants of the Geneva Forum
  • Tuesday afternoon: Interactive plenary session (same format as previous years)
    - 14:00: Entry into the venue
    - 14:30: Welcome
    - 15:00: Introductory lectures (keynotes)
    - 15:15: Cycle of short presentations (6 talks of 8 minutes) - see below
    - 16:10: Statement of the question to be worked on
    - 16:20: Work in sub-groups
    - 17:25: Interactive roundtable (feedback session)
    - 17:50: Closing remarks (Closing remarks)
    - 18:00: End of the workshop
  • Tuesday evening: Networking dinner between actors involved in the Rights of Nature and the Ocean
  • Wednesday morning: In-depth sub-group workshop
    - Collaborative exploration of the proposals raised during the plenary session
    - Formalization of concrete actions or collaboration perspectives
    - Preparation of elements for the final statement or the future White Paper


 Workshop Objectives – Why participate?

Workshop Objectives

  • Foster dialogue between law and education on marine environments: Explore how legal recognition of the Ocean’s rights can be strengthened by innovative educational approaches.
  • Highlight existing practices: Showcase local or international initiatives led by collectives, NGOs, educators, or artists that contribute to a non-anthropocentric ocean ethic.
  • Build bridges for action: Encourage synergies between legal, educational, and civil society actors to co-create new governance for marine life.

Why participate?
To

  • benefit from a visibility platform to showcase your ideas, work, and projects to an engaged international audience,
  • benefit from a space for exchange with experts and potential partners to advance your initiatives,
  • actively contribute to the transition toward a world where all living beings have rights,
  • access collaboration opportunities, publication, and dissemination of your ideas,
  • contribute to a paradigm shift in our relationship with the Ocean


This workshop is part of the Geneva Forum’s Conference Cycle on the day dedicated to the Rights of Nature, aiming to provide concrete solutions and proposals for new educational formats to encourage recognition of nature’s rights to the professional community and committed stakeholders. The goal is to foster collective reflection on ways to integrate these rights into educational practices, strengthening the connection between legal systems and education.

Through collaborative facilitation and exchanges among experts in law, education, environment, and local communities, this workshop will explore the most innovative legal and pedagogical approaches. Together, we will consider how to maximize the use of available resources and knowledge to support projects that raise awareness about ecosystem protection and regenerate relationships between humans and nature.

To implement this approach, we will first give the floor to 10 professionals from various fields, each having 5 minutes to present their views during the workshop’s first hour. Participants will receive information on the speakers and their projects beforehand. These short interventions will focus on initiatives that promote recognition of the rights of nature, based on criteria of ecological impact, pedagogical effectiveness, and respect for ecosystems and local communities.


 Main Theme and Thematic Reflection Axes

Main theme:

  • Informal education and symbiosis with the oceans: How can we transform our educational practices to foster ocean consciousness and respect for marine life?

Disciplinary fields and research axes:

  • Ocean Rights: from concept to law – What legal tools can ensure the recognition of rights for the Ocean? How are coastal, insular, or Indigenous territories embracing these frameworks?
  • Ocean justice and governance challenges – How can we envision ecological and legal justice for marine environments? What forms of shared and sensitive governance can support this?
  • Traditional knowledge, marine storytelling, and aquatic cosmogonies – How can coastal or insular cultures inspire educational or political models grounded in respect for the Ocean?
  • Art, science, and marine emotions – How can education through art, emotions, storytelling, or experimentation help foster a renewed relationship with marine life?


 Submission Guidelines

  • Nature of contributions: 5-minute oral presentation (with slide), sharing a case study or practical feedback. This will be preceded by advance information provided to the audience and followed by the publication of an article online.
  • Submission format: Title + abstract (max 500 words), followed by an article (max 3 pages Figures and tables included; Calibri font 11, single spacing, 2 cm margins).
  • Accepted languages: French, English (simultaneous translation).
  • Submission process: Via the online form below.
  • Timeline:
    • Deadline for abstract submission: November 20
    • Notification of acceptance: November 25
    • Deadline for full article submission: December 1
      Submissions made after this date may be considered for the next Forum session. Please submit on time.

See submission form below)->#submission_form]


 Expected Results and Outputs

  • Compilation of the presentations and discussions,
  • Online publication of an article by each speaker,
  • Drafting of a general Statement (position paper) at the end of the workshop,
  • Contribution to the development of a White Paper, planned for early 2026,
  • Prototyping of an international collaborative catalogue of nonformal education activities.


 Proposal Evaluation

  • Evaluation criteria: Proposals will be evaluated based on their originality, relevance and potential impact, scientific rigor, and practical feasibility and applicability within the context of regenerative tourism.
  • Selection process: Proposals will be reviewed by a multidisciplinary scientific committee, relying on peer evaluation.


 Practical Information

  • Logistics: The workshop on Tuesday afternoon will be held as part of the Geneva Forum, which runs from December 8 to 12, 2025. In line with the Geneva Forum’s philosophy, online participation is available but not prioritized.
  • Registration and Memberships: To participate in the Geneva Conferences and Forums, please select the membership of your choice. See the different memberships here.
    Once your membership is confirmed, you will receive all necessary logistical information, as well as the link to generate your event badge, a few days before.
By subscribing to one of these memberships, you become a member for a one-year period


 Contact Information

For any questions regarding the call for contributions, please feel free to contact the organizing team at: contact@geneva-forum.com



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