Speaking for the Unborn and the Living Earth

Abstract

In June 1992, during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, twelve-year-old Severn Cullis-Suzuki delivered an address that became one of the most memorable interventions in the history of environmental advocacy. Speaking on behalf of future generations, she challenged world leaders to confront the escalating ecological crisis and questioned the moral legitimacy of development models that sacrifice the future for short-term gain. More than three decades later, her words continue to resonate in a world marked by accelerating climate change, biodiversity loss, environmental degradation, and persistent social inequalities. This feature reproduces the text of the speech, transcribed from the video recording preserved in the United Nations Audiovisual Library. An editorial afterword accompanies the speech and revisits its ethical and philosophical foundations in the context of contemporary biodiversity conservation and environmental governance. It argues that the enduring significance of Suzuki's address lies not merely in its emotional appeal or youthful candour, but in its articulation of an environmental ethic grounded in intergenerational responsibility, ecological stewardship, global solidarity, and moral accountability. Read today, the speech remains a compelling reminder that environmental action is not simply a matter of policy but of justice, conscience, and responsibility to both the living Earth and generations yet unborn.