17/07/2020

Monica Feria-Tinta on the BBC discussing legal intervention protecting rainforests and natural world of global importance

Monica Feria-Tinta acted in a third party intervention (instructed by Deighton Pierce Glynn) on behalf of two leading NGOs before the Supreme Administrative Court of Colombia (Consejo de Estado) in a case to protect the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, known by the Arhuaco, Wiwa, Kogui and Kankuamo peoples as “The Heart of the Earth”.

In 2016, this space, encircled by La Linea Negra (The Black Line) was recognised as subject of protection by president Santos in Decree 1500. Today, a challenge to that Decree aims to quash it.

The Black Line encircles a ring of 348 sacred sites in ancestral territory and contains wetlands, mangroves, tropical rainforest, dry forests, high mountain forests, moors and glaciers, over 700 bird species, 44 species facing extinction, and 3000 plant species. Key ecosystems have been recognised since 1979 by UNESCO as Biosphere Reserve, essential to preserving the planet’s biodiversity.

Monica’s intervention focused on international law rules relevant to the case, including international treaties binding on Colombia such as the Paris Agreement.

Listen to her interview on the legal action on BBC Radio nan Gaidheal on Monday morning and on An là news BBC Alba (TV) after 8pm.

The intervention, which was filed on 15 July can be found here.