The Hague, Netherlands – 4 July 2025
Twenty-five years ago, the Earth Charter was offered to the world as an ethical compass for global transformation. Today, in the face of profound ecological, social, political, and spiritual crises, we reaffirm its relevance as a vital ethical, political, and educational instrument for building a more just, sustainable, and peaceful common future.
We address all humanity—peoples, nations, communities, youth, leaders, educational institutions, social movements, and the business sector:
The future of civilization depends on an awakening of consciousness and a shared will to act with courage, compassion, and responsibility.
The Earth Charter reminds us that humanity is part of a unique, interdependent community of life, and that respect for human dignity, the rights of nature, intergenerational equity, and planetary solidarity must guide our decisions.
Today, we declare:
- That it is urgent to reorient economic, political, and cultural systems toward a vision that recognizes the ecological limits of the planet and places the well-being of all living beings at the center.
- That the Earth Charter must be strengthened and embraced as a living reference in public policies, legal frameworks, and education at all levels.
- That young people, as bearers of the present and builders of the future, must be heard, supported, and recognized as protagonists of transformation.
- That international cooperation, intercultural dialogue, and ancestral wisdom are indispensable for addressing our shared challenges with unity and hope.
We call on all the peoples of the Earth to embrace the Earth Charter as a gift or an instrument in service of humanity—as a platform for encounter, collective action, and the regeneration of our social and ecological fabric.
From this 25th anniversary onward, the Earth Charter International Council commits to intensifying its work to:
- Strengthen networks of transformative education inspired by the Earth Charter.
- Foster its integration into legislative processes, government programmes, and international agreements.
- Support ethical, creative, and committed youth leadership.
- Expand alliances with social movements, Indigenous peoples, academic institutions, multilateral bodies, and businesses with a regenerative vision.
We firmly believe that another world is possible.
And we know it will emerge from cooperation, moral clarity, and a shared determination to protect life in all its diversity.
Let this commemoration be not merely a remembrance, but a turning point.
May the spirit of the Earth Charter become active force, living word, and ethical covenant for present and future generations.
It is time to move forward with renewed hope, wisdom, and unity.
It is time to choose life.
