Global Human Commons

Sustainability and Growth
Discussion by oconnor3@un.org

- Earth Condominium - a proposal to organize the global neighborhood -

Our planet is not just a sphere of rock, water and air with a surface of 510 million square kilometers divided between states. This planet possesses a Natural System that constitutes the support for life on Earth. Recent scientific developments that approach the Earth's System as whole, provided us with insights on the biogeochemical structure of the Holocene period – the only state of the Earth System that offers certainty for the provision of support for advanced human civilizations. The knowledge on this “safe operating zone for humanity”, obliges us to dematerialize the juridical vision that represents nature merely as a geographically delimited space and elaborate this “other” intangible systemic dimension, which is infinitely abstract, but still is incredibly concrete.

Experience has shown that the shared and unrestricted use of this finite system, results in an inevitable “tragedy of the commons”. To voluntary accept rules that harmonizes the common use of resources, presupposes the prior construction of the organizational foundations that enable the emergence of confidence.

The first foundation will be to manage identification and delimitation of the resource that everyone needs and depends upon. In delineating the different common and private properties, the juridical model of the Condominium organized responsibilities and the different management competencies, harmonizing the individual and collective interests. On a global scale the proposal of the Earth Condominium consists of the following steps:

1. The recognition of the “Earth System” as Natural Intangible Heritage of mankind.

2. The constitution of this new heritage according to the biogeochemical structure that is adequate for the conditions of human life: “The Planetary Boundaries”.

3. The creation of a metric and global accounting system in regard to the different costs and benefits that each state currently carries out over this common heritage.

4. To settle accounts and provide compensation between the outstanding balance of each State in regard to the maintenance of this system.

5. Turning the maintenance of this heritage within its limits into an object of globally organized and institutionalized management.

1. This other qualitative dimension of nature based on the adequacy of the state of the Earth System to support the conditi! ons for human life does neither fully nor partially alter the current sovereignty regimes. The rights of States over territorial waters and contiguous zones are maintained. The freedom of the sea is maintained. Air space sovereignty is maintained. The freedom of flying through, when it exists, is maintained.

What will happen is that each State will have to manage its balance relatively to its right to use this heritage, not just taking into account the costs it produces, but also the benefits (ecosystem services) it generates in order to keep this heritage within the “safe operating space of humanity”. By capturing the positive contributions on this new heritage, we can start to construct an economy that is able to provide ecosystem service and find the basis for justice and equity required for an agreement.

Soraia Taipa,

Earth Condominium Projewww.earth-condominium.org

 

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