We, participants of the Nairobi Workshop on Environmental and Human Rights Law Clinics, including academics, activists, community advocates, and legal practitioners, gather in response to the profound challenges posed by the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Now is an opportune moment to take action as recent international jurisprudence like the Inter-American Court’s Advisory Opinion on Climate Emergency and Human Rights, to the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on States obligations on climate change, and the forthcoming opinion of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights provide not only applicable tools but also momentum. It is with this in mind that we reaffirm the essential role that environmental law clinics can play in strengthening the environmental rule of law, advancing accountability, and protecting communities and ecosystems.

At the heart of this declaration is our shared recognition that the environmental law clinic model offers a powerful methodology for addressing environmental injustice. Clinics integrate rigorous legal training with engagement in real cases, territorial realities, scientific evidence, community knowledge, and ethical reflection. Through learning-bydoing, students and emerging professionals develop the capacities needed to confront environmental harms with integrity, courage, and a commitment to justice. This model is strengthened when clinics work alongside civil society organizations, grassroots movements, scientific institutions, and public authorities.Nairobi DeclarationStrengthening the Environmental Law Clinic Model in the Global Context December 8–9, 2025 | Nairobi, Kenya

We affirm the importance of intercultural dialogue, of drawing from diverse legal traditions and knowledge systems, of mutual support, and of grounding clinical work in the lived experiences of communities, territories, and ecosystems. The clinic model thrives and deepens its legitimacy when it incorporates ground-up perspectives and respects local, Indigenous, and community-rooted understandings of environmental stewardship.

We further recognize the transformative role of intergenerational collaboration and youth leadership within clinical work. Students and young practitioners bring vision, creativity, and moral clarity to the climate and environmental struggles of our time. Their leadership is indispensable for shaping a more just and sustainable future, and the clinical model provides a vital platform for nurturing their contributions.

The methodology of environmental law clinics is strengthened through collaboration. Partnerships between clinics, universities, NGOs, and communities reinforce transparency, participation, accountability, and alignment with global frameworks such as the Sustainable Development Goals. These alliances ensure that clinical work remains grounded, impactful, and responsive to pressing environmental challenges. In particular, we emphasize the critical position that NGOs occupy, not only as frontline defenders of the environment but also as facilitators of this collaboration between communities, and law clinics and universities. By providing real-life cases, acting as clients for students to practice their legal skills, and guiding students on community engagement and advocacy, NGOs participation is essential to building the clinic model.

As environmental harms are increasingly transnational, the clinic model naturally lends itself to collaborative and cross-border work. Comparative research, co-developed litigation strategies, joint legal submissions, and community-engaged projects expand the possibilities of clinical practice and enhance collective capacity across regions. Shared tools, such as knowledge platforms, clearinghouses, and collaborative learning spaces, can facilitate this cooperation, allowing clinics and their partners to learn from one another and work more effectively together.

We also acknowledge that the growth of any global effort depends on strong foundations. National and regional networks of environmental law clinics play a crucial role in bringing together diverse methodologies, strengthening capacities, and ensuring that clinical practice responds to specific legal, cultural, and territorial contexts. By reinforcing these regional ecosystems, clinics and their allies create the roots from which a vibrant global community of environmental law clinics can emerge.

With this Declaration, we envision a community and a global network grounded in diversity, intercultural dialogue, accountability, youth leadership, and a shared commitment to justice, environmental protection, and human rights. From Nairobi, we look toward the future with resolve, recognizing the transformative potential of the clinical model to strengthen environmental rule of law and to contribute meaningfully to the protection of our planet and all who inhabit it.

Nairobi, December 2025

Adopted by the participants of the Nairobi workshop on Environmental and Human Rights Law Clinics, organized by the Center for Transnational Environmental Accountability and the Faculty of Law of the University of Nairobi.

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