Following the recent destruction of the Kakhovka dam in the south of the country, the government of Ukraine accused Russia of the crime of “ecocide.” This term first surfaced in the 1970s in the context of the U.S. military’s use of Agent Orange in Vietnam. Since that time, the term has gained currency in international legal circles as a tool to fight against large-scale violations of the environment. A number of states have already incorporated the concept into their legal codes, and efforts are ongoing to enshrine “ecocide” in international law.
This episode of then & now features Kate Mackintosh, veteran human rights activist, international lawyer, and front-line participant in the efforts to define and promote “ecocide.” She discusses the historical roots of the concept, its place within the international legal order, and current efforts to advance this legal tool to forestall further damage to the global environment. The conversation also turns to the question of how effective such a tool of punishment can be in the world today.
Kate Mackintosh served as the inaugural executive director of the Promise Institute for Human Rights at the UCLA School of Law. She now serves as executive director of the Promise Institute for Human Rights in Europe.