The environmental rights of children and future generations in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights: Advances and challenges

Digno Jose Montalván Zambrano

doi:10.35295/osls.iisl.2551

Autores

Digno Jose Montalván Zambrano Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6050-1777

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl.2551

Palavras-chave:

Intergenerational justice, chilren's environmental rights, future generations, Inter-American Court of Human Rights

Resumo

This article examines the evolving treatment of intergenerational environmental protection within the Inter-American Human Rights System, focusing on the relationship—and growing tension—between the well-established framework of children’s environmental rights and the emerging recognition of future generations as potential rights-holders. While the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has developed robust standards protecting children from environmental and climate-related harms—grounded in their heightened vulnerability, the principle of the best interests of the child, and the intergenerational scope of State obligations—the parallel move to recognize future generations as subjects of rights raises significant conceptual and procedural challenges. These include the indeterminacy of who qualifies as a “future generation,” difficulties identifying victims for admissibility purposes, and the Court’s own precedent requiring rights-holders to be “present” human beings. Through an analysis of key jurisprudence, including La Oroya v. Peru and Advisory Opinions 23/17, 32/25, and 35/25, the article argues that children’s rights offer a more coherent, operational, and normatively grounded pathway for advancing intergenerational justice.

Downloads

Não há dados estatísticos.

Metrics

Estatísticas globais

21 Visualizações	19 Downloads
40 Total

Biografia do Autor

Digno Jose Montalván Zambrano, Centro de Estudios Políticos y Constitucionales

Email: dignojose.montalvan@cepc.es

Referências

Andina, T., and Corvino, F., 2023. Climate change, the non-identity problem, and the metaphysics of transgenerational actions. In: G. Pellegrino and M. Di Paola, eds., Handbook of the philosophy of climate change [online]. Cham: Springer International, 663–684. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07002-0_110 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07002-0_110

Basson, G., et al., 2025. Commentary to the Maastricht Principles on the human rights of future generations. Human Rights Quarterly [online], 47(4), 754–1006. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1353/hrq.2025.a972482 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1353/hrq.2025.a972482

Bertram, D., 2023. “For you will (still) be here tomorrow”: The many lives of intergenerational equity. Transnational Environmental Law [online], 12(1), 121–149. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S2047102522000395 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S2047102522000395

Bookman, S., and Wewerinke-Singh, M., 2024. Intergenerational equity [online]. 4 March. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4747315 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4747315

Bos, B., 2026. (Mis)conceptualizing the future: On the temporality of the future in rights-based climate litigation. Transnational Environmental Law [online], 1–23. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S2047102526100387 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S2047102526100387

Brown Weiss, E., 1990. Our rights and obligations to future generations for the environment. The American Journal of International Law, 84(1), 198–207. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/2203020

Brown Weiss, E., 1992. In fairness to future generations and sustainable development. American University International Law Review, 8(1), 19–26.

Chalifour, N. J., 2021. Equity considerations in loss and damage. In: M. Doelle and S. L. Seck, eds., Research handbook on climate change law and loss & damage [online]. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 18–42. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788974028 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788974028.00008

CIDH, 2003. Informe de Inadmisibilidad Nº 88/03 (Parque Natural Metropolitano Panamá), de fecha 22 de octubre de 2003 [online]. Available at: http://www.cidh.oas.org/annualrep/2003sp/panama.11.533.htm

Daly, A., 2022. Intergenerational rights are children’s rights: Upholding the right to a healthy environment through the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child [online]. 4 October. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4141475 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4141475

Daly, A., Paz Landeira, F., and Muller, L., 2026. The rights of children and youth in the climate crisis: Action and litigation [online]. 1st ed. London: Routledge. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003298557 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003298557-1

Donger, E., 2022. Children and youth in strategic climate litigation: Advancing rights through legal argument and legal mobilization. Transnational Environmental Law [online], 11(2), 263–289. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S2047102522000218 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S2047102522000218

Drigo, A., 2024. Future generations in climate litigation: Early whispers of an intergenerational law? German Law Journal [online], 25(7), 1120–1148. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/glj.2024.36 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/glj.2024.36

Goldston, J. A., 2022. Litigios climáticos desde el punto de vista de la igualdad. In: C. A. Rodríguez Garavito, ed., Litigar la emergencia climática: La movilización ciudadana ante los tribunales para enfrentar la crisis ambiental y asegurar derechos básicos. Siglo XXI, 131–161.

Gosseries, A., 2008. On future generations’ future rights. Journal of Political Philosophy [online], 16(4). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9760.2008.00323.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9760.2008.00323.x

Gros Espiell, H., 1991. La Convención Americana y la Convención Europea de Derechos Humanos. Análisis comparativo. Editorial Jurídica de Chile.

Gubbay, I., and Wenzler, C., 2021. Intergenerational climate change litigation: The first climate communication to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. In: I. Alogna, C. Bakker and J. P. Gauci, eds., Climate change litigation: Global perspectives. Leiden: Brill Nijhoff, 343–365. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004447615_016

Herstein, O. J., 2009. The identity and (legal) rights of future generations. The George Washington Law Review, 77, 1173–1215.

Humphreys, S., 2022. Against future generations. European Journal of International Law [online], 33(4), 1061–1092. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/ejil/chac068 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ejil/chac068

Kotzé, L. J., and Kim, R. E., 2019. Earth system law: The juridical dimensions of earth system governance. Earth System Governance [online], 1, 1–12. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esg.2019.100003 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esg.2019.100003

Lang, M., Manahan, M. A., and Bringel, B., eds., 2024. The geopolitics of green colonialism: Global justice and eco-social transitions. London: Pluto Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.12865310

Marrero, D., 2025. ¿Es la atribución de derechos a la Amazonía una condición necesaria para la protección de las generaciones futuras? Isegoría [online], (72), 1663. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3989/isegoria.2025.72.1663 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3989/isegoria.2025.72.1663

Meijers, T., 2023. Climate change and intergenerational justice. In: G. Pellegrino and M. Di Paola, eds., Handbook of the philosophy of climate change [online]. Cham: Springer International, 623–645. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07002-0_55 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07002-0_55

Montalván-Zambrano, D., 2021. Antropocentrismo y ecocentrismo en la jurisprudencia de la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos. Araucaria. Revista Iberoamericana de Filosofía, Política, Humanidades y Relaciones Internacionales [online], 23(46), 505–527. Available at: https://doi.org/10.12795/araucaria.2021.i46.25 DOI: https://doi.org/10.12795/araucaria.2021.i46.25

Montalván-Zambrano, D., and Wences, I., 2024. Transición energética y litio: nuevos «comunes» y otros extractivismos. Oñati Socio-Legal Series [online], 14(2), 416–446. Available at: https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl.1765 DOI: https://doi.org/10.35295/osls.iisl.1765

Muller, L., and Daly, A., 2025. Child/youth climate litigation: Tracking children’s rights and children’s impact. Washington & Lee Law Review [online]. Available at: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5431815 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5431815

Nedevska, J., 2023. Climate change and institutions for future generations: The litigation option. In: G. Pellegrino and M. Di Paola, eds., Handbook of the philosophy of climate change [online]. Cham: Springer International, 1229–1245. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07002-0_132 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-07002-0_132

Nolan, A., 2024. Children and future generations rights before the courts: The vexed question of definitions. Transnational Environmental Law [online], 13(3), 522–546. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2047102524000165 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S2047102524000165

Parfit, D., 1992. Reasons and persons. Oxford: Clarendon Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9781503622036-013

Parker, L., et al., 2022. When the kids put climate change on trial: Youth-focused rights-based climate litigation around the world. Journal of Human Rights and the Environment [online], 13(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.4337/jhre.2022.01.03 DOI: https://doi.org/10.4337/jhre.2022.01.03

Paz Landeira, F., 2025. Justicia ambiental intergeneracional. EUNOMÍA. Revista en Cultura de la Legalidad [online], 29, 306–321. Available at: https://doi.org/10.20318/eunomia.2025.9856 DOI: https://doi.org/10.20318/eunomia.2025.9856

Pedersen, O. W., and Sulyok, K., 2024. Future generations litigation and transformative changes in environmental governance. Transnational Environmental Law [online], 13(3), 464–474. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S2047102524000281 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S2047102524000281

Rodrigues Gonçales, L., 2025. Youth protagonism in Latin American climate litigation. The International Journal of Children’s Rights [online], 33(3), 646–674. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1163/15718182-33030010 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/15718182-33030010

Slobodian, L., 2020. Defending the future: Intergenerational equity in climate litigation. The Georgetown Environmental Law Review, 32, 569–589.

Spentzou, D., 2021. Climate change litigation as a means to address intergenerational equity and climate change [online]. Queen Mary University of London. Available at: https://doi.org/10.26494/QMLJ3944 DOI: https://doi.org/10.26494/QMLJ3944

Sulyok, K., 2024. Transforming the rule of law in environmental and climate litigation: Prohibiting the arbitrary treatment of future generations. Transnational Environmental Law [online], 13(3), 475–501. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1017/S2047102524000116 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S2047102524000116

Thompson, D. F., 2010. Representing future generations: Political presentism and democratic trusteeship. Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy [online], 13(1), 17–37. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/13698230903326232 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/13698230903326232

Tigre, M. A., 2025. “Small” voices, big wins: Analyzing remedies in children’s climate cases. Washington and Lee Law Review [online], 82(3). Available at: https://scholarlycommons.law.wlu.edu/wlulr/vol82/iss3/6/

United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 2021. The climate crisis is a child rights crisis: Introducing the Children’s Climate Risk Index [online]. UNICEF. Available at: https://www.unicef.org/media/105376/file/UNICEF-climate-crisis-child-rights-crisis.pdf

Voigt, C., 2016. Climate change and damages. In: C. P. Carlarne, K. R. Gray y R. Tarasofsky, eds., The Oxford handbook of international climate change law. Oxford University Press, 465–494. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/law/9780199684601.003.0021

Wewerinke-Singh, M., Garg, A., and Agarwalla, S., 2023. In defence of future generations: A reply to Stephen Humphreys. European Journal of International Law [online], 34(3), 651–668. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1093/ejil/chad033 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ejil/chad033