Bridging Diplomatic Divides through the Rights of Nature: European and Latin American Approaches to Redefining Sustainable Development at the United Nations

Objective

“Bridging Diplomatic Divides through the Rights of Nature: European and Latin American Approaches to Redefining Sustainable Development at the United Nations” (NATURE-BRIDGES) investigates whether the European Union (EU) and Latin America (LA), as political groups within the UN, share common ground in their approaches to the Rights of Nature (RoN), and to what extent such convergence could contribute to redefining sustainable development in UN multilateral negotiations - or if their positions reflect fundamentally divergent normative and diplomatic frameworks. Although both regions have pioneered legal and policy innovations in RoN, it remains underexplored why they often adopt opposing stances in UN fora. This project examines the extent to which these divergences are reconcilable and what they reveal about the future of global sustainability governance. To this end, the project first compares the normative, legal, and institutional approaches to RoN in both regions to assess whether their differences stem from underlying principles. Second, it analyzes their positions within the UN Harmony with Nature agenda to determine if diplomatic misalignment, rather than normative divergence, explains their lack of coordination. Third, it explores the influence of transnational networks - particularly those linked to Harmony with Nature - on shaping Member States’ diplomatic positions at the UN to support alternative development paradigms. Based on the findings and as policy-oriented outcome, NATURE-BRIDGES proposes a diplomatic framework for integrating the RoN into the post-2030 UN Sustainable Development Agenda. The project will be hosted at Leiden University.