Intrinsic Interests and Integrative Dignity: Towards Wildlife Rights in International Law?

The discussions on animal rights strongly focus on the plight of domestic animals and tend to have a laissez-faire approach to wild animals.

I argue that this approach is not sustainable in the Anthropocene as wild animals are exposed to the dire consequences of anthropogenic activities and the global implications thereof necessitate international protection. Hence, I investigate whether it is possible to consider the application of international human rights to wild animals to establish ‘international human rights-like wildlife rights’, which I refer to in this presentation as ‘international wildlife rights’. Thus, the first part of the presentation critically discusses the probability (or improbability) of the proposal and argues that wild animals have intrinsic interests which require protection. The third part of the presentation advocates the need to recognise a form of inclusive dignity, which I refer to as ‘integrative’ dignity’, as a basis for the development of specific protection measures in response to the individual interests of wild animals. I argue that integrative dignity could form the basis for international wildlife rights. The fourth part of the publication presents examples of non-binding declarations which embody international wildlife rights. The fifth part considers the probability of state consensus on the negotiation of an international wildlife rights treaty/treaties and proposes two complementary avenues, which could form part of a (pluralist) incremental approach towards the establishment of international wildlife rights. I conclude the presentation with brief remarks.