Humankind, victim or hope of a common destiny ?

• Main Author: Le Bris, Catherine
• Other Authors: Institut des sciences juridique et philosophique de la Sorbonne - UMR 8103 (ISJPS), Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (UP1)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: French
• Published: HAL CCSD 2019
• Subjects: humankind; mankind; ecocide; crime against the peace and security of mankind; Humanité; crime contre la paix et la sécurité de l'humanité; patrimoine commun de l'humanité; patrimoine mondial; biens communs; droit; geo; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02477250

International audience Faced with the degradation of the environment, the figure of humankind has many facets in the international legal order. It appears sometimes as a victim, sometimes as a saviour. As a victim, legal humankind is intended to ground the incrimination of ecocide. This crime is considered as the fifth crime against the peace and security of mankind, the one that has irrigated this notion without ever being consecrated independently. If in international law some ecological damages can be punished as a crime against humanity, yet the only damage to the environment is not enough. However, legal humankind is also seen as a saviour. It was sometimes considered as a kind of magic word that would make it possible to renovate international law, especially environmental law. In accordance with the Convention on the Law of the Sea, all rights in the resources of the seabed Area « are vested in mankind ». Antarctica itself must be managed in the interest of all mankind. However, the notion of heritage of mankind has showed its limitations, as well as the notion of common concern of humankind which is applied to biodiversity and climate. In order to protect efficiently and effectively the environment, we must take into account all the effects of the concept of humankind we need to shape our own destiny. ace à la dégradation de l’environnement, la figure de l’humanité peut se montrer sous des jours différents dans l’ordre juridique international. Elle apparaît tantôt comme une référence victimaire, tantôt comme une référence salvatrice. Dans sa dimension victimaire, l’humanité juridique a vocation à fonder l’incrimination de l’écocide. Ce crime apparaît comme le cinquième crime contre la paix et la sécurité de l’humanité, celui qui a irrigué cette notion sans jamais être consacré de manière autonome. Si le crime contre l’humanité permet, en l’état du droit positif, de sanctionner certaines atteintes écologiques, l’atteinte à l’environnement seul, cependant, n’est pas suffisante pour que la répression ...