Theo van Boven Lecture 2025

We are facing existential crises that are global in nature and with potentially devastating implications for the future of humanity. Our world is in the midst of a triple planetary crisis consisting of a climate emergency, large-scale biodiversity loss and a pollution and waste crisis that the United Nations Secretary-General has called a “senseless and suicidal war against nature”.
At the same time, the adoption of digital technologies, including the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence, have many worried about a future that, even without an AI apocalypse, will be dominated by those few States and big corporations who wield control over these technologies without real accountability. We appear to be witnessing an increasing turn towards the court to address these existential crises globally.

Is litigation a good response to deal with these threats and why exactly? What are the risks involved of turning to the courts to address existential issues of this sort? And perhaps most importantly: what is the precise role for human rights in this domain?

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Additional information: https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/nl/events/theo-van-boven-lecture-2025