The Rights of Nature movement is gaining traction across the globe: more than 200 laws and policies in over 40 countries already recognize the inherent rights of rivers, forests, mountains, and ecosystems to exist and thrive.
Resolution 054 brings this vision to Antarctica, ensuring Antarctica is not seen as a resource or backdrop, but as a living system with the right to continue evolving.
Motion 055 was adopted at the IUCN World Conservation Congress 2025 in Abu Dhabi as Resolution 054.
What Resolution 054 calls for
As proposed and adopted at the IUCN World Conservation Congress, this motion will:
🔹 Evaluate the concept of the fundamental rights of Antarctica — the Director General, Antarctic and Southern Ocean Task Force, IUCN Commissions, and Members are asked to thoroughly assess what these rights mean and what corresponding human duties they entail.
🔹 Report back — the Director General, in collaboration with WCEL and the Task Force, is asked to submit a progress report to IUCN Members on implementation by IUCN, its Members, and partner stakeholders.
🔹 Advance cooperation under the Antarctic Treaty System — IUCN Members are encouraged to cooperate to protect the intrinsic value of Antarctica and its dependent and associated ecosystems.
Alignment with global commitments
Resolution 054 strengthens delivery of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, while reinforcing the Antarctic Environmental Protocol’s recognition of Antarctica’s intrinsic value. It builds on five IUCN resolutions on Antarctica, fisheries, protected areas, and Rights of Nature:
Res. 7.032 (Ocean impacts of climate change, 2020)
Res. 7.107 (Fisheries & marine biodiversity, 2020)
Res. 6.032 (Protected areas in Antarctica, 2016)
Res. 5.066 (Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, 2012)
Res. 5.100 (Rights of Nature, 2012)
The voice of Antarctica
Antarctica cannot represent itself.
This resolution seeks to ensure that Antarctica’s voice is heard — in governance, conservation, and decision-making spaces crucial to its survival and the stability of our planet.
How you can support
IUCN Members: Work with your networks to implement Resolution 054 — evaluate, report, and advance Antarctic rights within the Treaty System.
All: Read the full Resolution 054 and join the Alliance for the Rights of Antarctica.