Maastricht Principles on The Human Rights of Future Generations

The Maastricht Principles on The Human Rights of Future Generations is a statement adopted on 3 February 2023 that clarifies the application of international law to the human rights of generations not yet born. It establishes a framework of state obligations to respect, protect, and fulfil these rights, emphasizing the necessity of intergenerational justice, the principle of trusteeship over Earth's natural systems, and the role of Indigenous Peoples' knowledge in ensuring long-term sustainability.

• Future generations are defined as those who do not yet exist but will exist and inherit the Earth, including persons, groups, and peoples. They are legally entitled to human rights based on international law that does not limit rights to present generations, general principles of law across global regions, and legal frameworks that recognize intergenerational equity.
• The document establishes a principle of trusteeship, asserting that every generation must act as trustees of the Earth for future generations. This duty includes protecting and sustaining natural and cultural heritage, as well as making decisions regarding the near-Earth environment and the Moon.
• States have a tripartite obligation to respect, protect, and fulfil the human rights of future generations. Violations of the obligation to respect include contributing to anthropogenic climate change, polluting ecosystems, and using weapons of mass destruction. Violations of the obligation to protect include the failure to phase out fossil fuels within the shortest possible time and the failure to regulate geo-engineering or genetic engineering.
• Intergenerational discrimination is identified as a specific violation of human rights. This includes the unsustainable use of resources essential to human life, shifting the burden of present crises to future generations, and discounting the value of future lives and rights compared to those of present generations.
• The Principles emphasize that the rights of future generations are intrinsically linked to the rights of Nature and the knowledge systems of Indigenous Peoples, peasants, and traditional communities. States are urged to draw guidance from Indigenous practices and protect the sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples over their lands to safeguard the rights of both present and future generations.
• States possess extraterritorial obligations to ensure that their conduct, and the conduct of corporations under their jurisdiction, does not impair the human rights of future generations outside their own borders. This includes the duty to ensure international trade and investment agreements do not restrict a State's capacity to fulfil these human rights obligations.
• To ensure accountability, the document calls for effective remedies, including the right to standing for representatives of future generations in courts. Reparations for violations should include restitution (such as restoring degraded ecosystems), compensation for irreparable damage, and satisfaction (such as public apologies and the disclosure of truth).

APA

Liebenberg, S., Khalfan, A., Carmona, M. S., Kothari, M., Venne-Manyfingers, S., Wewerinke-Singh, M., & Muffett, C. (2023). Maastricht Principles on The Human Rights of Future Generations. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Maastricht-Principles-Light_Jun12.pdf

Chicago

Liebenberg, Sandy, Ashfaq Khalfan, Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, Miloon Kothari, Sharon Venne-Manyfingers, Margaretha Wewerinke-Singh, and Carroll Muffett. Maastricht Principles on The Human Rights of Future Generations. Center for International Environmental Law, 2023. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Maastricht-Principles-Light_Jun12.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Liebenberg |first1=Sandy |last2=Khalfan |first2=Ashfaq |last3=Carmona |first3=Magdalena Sepúlveda |last4=Kothari |first4=Miloon |last5=Venne-Manyfingers |first5=Sharon |last6=Wewerinke-Singh |first6=Margaretha |last7=Muffett |first7=Carroll |title=Maastricht Principles on The Human Rights of Future Generations |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=3 February 2023 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Maastricht-Principles-Light_Jun12.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{liebenberg2023maastricht, author = {Liebenberg, Sandy and Khalfan, Ashfaq and Carmona, Magdalena Sepúlveda and Kothari, Miloon and Venne-Manyfingers, Sharon and Wewerinke-Singh, Margaretha and Muffett, Carroll}, title = {{Maastricht Principles on The Human Rights of Future Generations}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2023}, month = feb, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Maastricht-Principles-Light_Jun12.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }