message from the team

The Center for Marine Justice team reaffirms our commitment to promoting marine justice that places coastal and island communities, especially artisanal fishing communities, at the center of ocean governance. Our work is based on a fundamental conviction: the health of the oceans cannot be separated from the dignity, rights, and well-being of those who depend on and protect them on a daily basis.

During 2025, we promoted the implementation of advisory opinions on climate change through national and international dialogue processes aimed at converting recent legal developments into practical guidelines for state action and the formulation of climate policies with a human rights approach. At the same time, we strengthened advocacy for the rights of artisanal fishing communities, reaffirming them as subjects of rights and special protection. We positioned the defense of individuals and organizations that defend the environment and the sea as a global priority and coordinated support and strategic networks to strengthen collaborative environmental defense among communities, civil society, academia, and public institutions.

Our work was supported by publications and research products aimed at informing climate policies and decisions from a human rights perspective, contributing to more inclusive, fair, and resilient ocean governance.

We continue to work to ensure that the protection and restoration of marine and coastal ecosystems goes hand in hand with the empowerment of the communities that have historically cared for them.

PROMOTING THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CLIMATE CHANGE ADVISORY OPINIONS THROUGH NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL DIALOGUE.

Through our advocacy and multisectoral dialogue initiatives aimed at implementing the advisory opinions on climate change of the International Court of Justice, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and through close coordination with national and international partners, we facilitated spaces for dialogue that brought together representatives of governments, civil society, and academia.

These efforts allowed us to position national climate priorities for COP30 and resulted in the preparation of position papers that strengthen regional and international advocacy. We also promoted spaces for dissemination and actively participated in specialized debate forums on the scope and relevance of these advisory opinions, highlighting their importance for the advancement of marine justice and the comprehensive protection of the ocean from a human rights approach.

Multi-country Dialogue to Strengthen Climate Action on the Ocean

We built arenas for constructive dialogue between representatives of governments, civil society and academia through the International Meeting Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala: Climate Change, Ocean and Marine-Coastal Zones: Dialogue towards COP30, complemented with national follow-up roundtables. These arenas made it possible to identify national priorities towards COP30 and strengthen the definition and implementation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), incorporating a human rights approach that recognizes the interdependence between the ocean, the climate system and the vulnerability of coastal and island communities.

Discussions highlighted the value of advisory opinions as a relevant source of international law and the need to strengthen their incorporation into public decision-making, national frameworks and international negotiation processes, articulating national priorities with global commitments on climate, ocean and human rights.

As a result, two position papers were prepared and shared with government representatives: one on the contribution of advisory opinions to climate priorities and the Link NDCs, and another that systematizes the contributions to define marine-coastal climate priorities for COP30 in Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala Link.

These arenas were convened thanks to our alliance with ADA of Guatemala and ECOLEX of Ecuador.

National Working Groups on Climate Priorities and the Implementation of the NDCs Incorporating Advisory Opinions in Colombia, Guatemala and Ecuador.

National roundtables were held to follow up on the international meeting, with the participation of representatives from government, civil society and academia, as part of our mission to promote marine justice and the sustainable and equitable use of ocean biodiversity.

These arenas allowed us to analyze the progress made by each country in their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and promote their alignment with a human rights approach, recognizing the close relationship between ocean protection, the climate system and the vulnerability of coastal and island communities. They also discussed how the contents of the advisory opinions can strengthen national climate priorities, institutional strengthening, accountability, effective participation, intersectoral articulation and the development of technical capacities for effective marine-coastal management in the face of climate change.

The roundtables also addressed the management and dissemination of information on the ocean to improve public decision-making processes, promoting the effective recognition of artisanal fishing communities as rights holders and key actors in a fairer, more inclusive and resilient ocean governance.

In Colombia the roundtable was convened by our organization; in Ecuador by our ally ECOLEX; and in Guatemala by ADA2.

Participation in the LACLIMA event "Strategic dialogue on international tribunals and advisory opinions on climate emergency" at COP30.

In the framework of COP30, our director, Ana Lucía Maya-Aguirre, thanks to the invitation of the Brazilian organization LACLIMA, participated as a panelist in the session open to the public "Courts in dialogue: the processes behind the advisory opinions in the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea". This section was part of the "Strategic Dialogue: international courts and advisory opinions on climate emergency" organized by LACLIMA.

In his speech he presented the contributions of the advisory opinion of the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea in the articulation between the law of the sea and the international law of climate change, contributing to the international legal debate on state obligations. She also addressed a critical reflection on the limitations of the advisory process before this tribunal and highlighted pending normative gaps, particularly those related to the recognition and protection of the rights of artisanal fishing communities, in order to strengthen their inclusion in the climate agenda.

Ana Lucia shared the panel with Watna Mori, Atlantic Fellow for Social Equity; Cristina Terezo, Minister of Human Rights and Citizenship of Brazil and Ana Nuddeo from the University of Sao Paulo Link

MOVING FORWARD IN ADVOCACY FOR THE GUARANTEE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN ARTISANAL FISHERIES

Creation of the Visible Artisanal Fishing Alliance (APAV)

In 2025 we created the Visible Artisanal Fishing Alliance (APAV), a Colombian civil society initiative made up of fishermen's organizations and non-governmental organizations, whose philosophy is to support the processes of men and women in artisanal fishing and the organizations that represent them. The alliance is a continuation of joint activities previously developed by the organizations that comprise it within the framework of the Campaign of the same name developed between 2021 and 2022.

APAV is formed by the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA), the Center for Marine Justice, the National Confederation of Artisanal Fisheries of Colombia (COMENALPAC), the Confederation Network of Fishermen and Fish Farmers and Ethnic Colombians (Redepescacol), the Federation of Artisanal Fishermen of the Pacific (FEDEPAZCIFICO), the MarViva Foundation and the ALMA Foundation.

Strengthening the Advocacy and Knowledge Capacities of Artisanal Fishing Community Leaders.

We collaborated with the Danish Institute for Human Rights, which convened a meeting with the Ombudsman's Office and two territorial meetings with organizations of artisanal fishermen. The objective was to strengthen capacities through training, case studies and socialization of experiences to integrate a human rights approach in the governance of small-scale fisheries.

The territorial meetings in the Colombian Pacific and Caribbean were aimed at strengthening the meaningful participation of indigenous and non-indigenous fishing communities. The Center led technical and legal content on international human rights standards, fisheries governance, climate change and the law of the sea.

As part of this collaboration with the Danish Institute for Human Rights, the Center conducted analyses of regulatory frameworks and public policies, and produced a primer on the rights of men and women in small-scale fisheries.

PLACING THE PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL AND MARINE DEFENDERS AT THE TOP OF THE GLOBAL AGENDA

Addressing the Protection of Environmental Defenders in the Context of Ecological Restoration

Our director, Ana Lucía Maya-Aguirre is part of the Society for Ecological Restoration's (SER) team of international experts to address the needs for reform of legal frameworks on restoration at the national level. As part of her collaboration with SER, Ana Lucía has provided legal perspectives on marine and coastal ecosystems, highlighting the vulnerability of marine defenders advocating for restoration processes.

Ana Lucia participated as one of the keynote speakers in the High Level Panel on Policy, Financing and Capacity Challenges for Scaling Up Restoration of the 11th World Conference on Ecological Restoration (SER2025) organized in Denver (USA) and the Global Workshop on Ecosystem Restoration, organized by the University of Ghent, SER and the United Nations Global Land Initiative in Belgium. Link

Recognition of Environmental Defenders as a Group in a Situation of Vulnerability in the Inter-American Human Rights System and State Obligations for their Protection in the Context of the Climate Emergency.

Observations submitted to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the Process of the Advisory Opinion on the Climate Emergency and Human Rights.

As part of the Alliance for Land, Environment and Indigenous Peoples Defenders (ALLIED) we coordinated the publication of the summary of the observations presented to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (hereinafter IACHR Court) in the advisory opinion process initiated by the States of Chile and Colombia on the human rights obligations of States in the context of the climate emergency. This as a result of the follow-up to ALLIED's participation both in writing and at the hearing.

Download here the publication

Webinar "Dialogue and reflections on Advisory Opinion 32/25 of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on climate emergency and human rights. The right to defend a healthy environment in the context of the Inter-American Human Rights System".

This webinar addressed the implications of this opinion regarding the obligations of States in terms of prevention, protection and guarantee of the rights of environmental defenders.

The event was convened by the Alliance for Defenders of the Environment, Land and Indigenous Peoples (ALLIED), the Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW), the National Network for the Defense of Food Sovereignty in Guatemala (REDSAG), the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA), the Climate Litigation Platform for Latin America and the Caribbean, the Center for Marine Justice (formerly the Observatory for Coastal Marine Governance), NGO FIMA, International Service for Human Rights, the Center for Human Rights and Environment (CEDHA) and Protection International. Link

MOBILIZING STRATEGIC SUPPORT AND CONNECTING GLOBAL NETWORKS TO STRENGTHEN ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY

Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW) 2025 Annual Meeting

We hosted and co-organized the annual meeting of ELAW, which took place in Santa Marta, Colombia, and brought together more than 60 allied organizations of the network, consolidating itself as a strategic space to strengthen cooperation between environmental lawyers and advocates from different countries. During the meeting, plenary sessions focused on the protection of environmental defenders, the defense of the ocean, the strengthening of legal frameworks for human rights and environmental defense, as well as the analysis of extractivism, climate change and just transition, and even digital security.

The meeting was possible thanks to the alliance with ELAW, AIDA; Asociación Ambiente y Sociedad; Universidad del Magdalena and Colectivo de Abogados "José Alvear Restrepo".

International Conference on Environmental Law: Exercising the Right to Defend a Healthy Environment and Human Rights.

This conference was an academic space in which experiences and reflections on the practice of public interest environmental law, environmental challenges in the Caribbean and the world were shared.

The conference was co-organized by the Faculty of Law of the Universidad del Magdalena, ELAW, the research group Saberes Jurídicos of UniMagdalena, the Asociación Ambiente y Sociedad, ADA2, the Instituto de Abogados para la Protección del Medio Ambiente (INSAPROMA), the Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental (SPDA), AIDA, FIMA, Tsikini, Territorios Diversos para la Vida, the Egyptian Environmental Rights Foundation (EFER) and the Energy and Law Program of American University.

View video of the opening session. Link

PUBLICATIONS TO INFORM HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED CLIMATE DECISIONS

The Center for Marine Justice's publications are produced under the mission of its Research Group "Marine Justice and International Law" endorsed by the Center and recognized by the Colombian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation. In 2025 we consolidate our institutional publications contributing to international debates on regulatory frameworks, the defense of the right to a healthy environment and marine justice.

LAW OF THE SEA, CLIMATE CHANGE AND HUMAN RIGHTS SERIES

Advisory Opinions on Climate Change from the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice: Contributions to Countries' Climate Priorities and the Implementation of NDCs from a Marine Justice Perspective.

The first issue of the series comes at a watershed moment for international law and global climate action. This issue brings together reflections on the convergence of these three essential normative frameworks, whose articulation has become more relevant since 2024 and 2025, based on the advisory opinions issued by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ).

The purpose of the series is to deepen the understanding and practical application of the duties of States at the intersection of these three legal spheres, articulating the obligations of guarantee, prevention, cooperation and protection under a comprehensive view of environmental, climate and marine justice.

Download here the publication

blue documents journal

Debates on the Advisory Opinion of the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea: Ocean, Climate Change and Human Rights

The journal "Blue Documents" is characterized by offering contributions from civil society that serve to understand current debates and lay the groundwork for advocacy processes. The intention of the journal is that different actors share their positions on a specific topic and, from this exchange of knowledge, contribute to the strengthening of the capacities of those who, from different roles, dedicate our work to the defense of human and environmental rights.

The edition "Debates on the advisory opinion of the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea: ocean, climate change and human rights" gathers articles written by members of civil society organizations and legal advisors who have played a key role in the advisory opinion proceedings and who know these processes from a vision that combines marine justice, the evolution of legal frameworks and the rights of future generations. These are articles that contribute to an understanding of the how, why and what for of the court's advisory opinion from the civil society.Link

PROCEEDINGS

International Conference on Environmental Law: Exercising the Right to Defend a Healthy Environment and Human Rights.

This conference was an academic space in which experiences and reflections were shared on the practice of public interest environmental law, environmental challenges in the Caribbean and the world, marine-coastal protection, environmental litigation strategies, the implications of the advisory opinion processes of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), as well as the advisory opinions of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on climate change.

The conference was co-organized by the Faculty of Law of the Universidad del Magdalena, ELAW, the Saberes Jurídicos research group of UniMagdalena, the Asociación Ambiente y Sociedad, ADA2, the Instituto de Abogados para la Protección del Medio Ambiente (INSAPROMA), the Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental (SPDA), AIDA, FIMA, Tsikini, Territorios Diversos para la Vida, the Egyptian Environmental Rights Foundation (EFER) and the Energy and Law Program of American University.

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