Transforming our world? Strengthening animal rights and animal welfare at the United Nations
| Published date | 01 September 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/00471178231193299 |
| Author | Andrea Schapper,Cebuan Bliss |
| Date | 01 September 2023 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
https://doi.org/10.1177/00471178231193299
International Relations
2023, Vol. 37(3) 514 –537
© The Author(s) 2023
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DOI: 10.1177/00471178231193299
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Transforming our world?
Strengthening animal rights
and animal welfare at
the United Nations
Andrea Schapper
University of Stirling
Cebuan Bliss
Radboud University
Abstract
In this article, we argue that animal rights and welfare are largely neglected at the United
Nations (UN) and in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The UN Sustainability Agenda
is not transformative because it lacks a serious (re-)consideration of the relationship between
human beings, non-human animals and other components of nature. We propose four ways to
strengthen animal rights and animal welfare at the UN: (1) we suggest creating a UN organisation
working on animal protection, (2) we support earlier ideas to include an additional SDG on
animal welfare in the UN Sustainability Agenda, (3) we propose to strengthen animals rights
within the rights of nature framework using the UN as a forum to advance non-anthropocentric
norms, (4) we recommend introducing procedural rights for animals in projects linked to SDG
funding. Our research is based on an integrative literature review and a document analysis of UN
documents, declarations and resolutions.
Keywords
animal rights, animal welfare, sustainable development, transformative change,
United Nations
Corresponding author:
Andrea Schapper, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
Email: andrea.schapper@stir.ac.uk
1193299IRE0010.1177/00471178231193299International RelationsSchapper and Bliss
research-article2023
Article
Schapper and Bliss 515
Introduction
In 2015, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted the 2030 Agenda for
Sustainable Development entitled ‘Transforming Our World’.1 In its preamble, the
UNGA states: ‘This is a plan of action for people, planet and prosperity. [. . .] We are
determined to take the bold and transformative steps which are urgently needed to shift
the world on to a sustainable and resilient path’.2 But is the United Nations (UN)
Sustainability Agenda truly transformative? Does it initiate fundamental change and a
shift in paradigms, goals and values3 to achieve sustainability for people and planet?
In this article, we argue that the UN Sustainability Agenda does not keep its promise
of introducing transformative steps towards sustainability, first and foremost, because
– in its individual goals and practices – it does not fundamentally redefine the relation-
ship between human beings, non-human animals and other components of nature.
Without this re-definition, we argue, the UN’s ‘plan of action’4 will only benefit human
beings – mainly economically – in the short run but, from a long-term perspective,
will harm ‘people, planet and prosperity’5 by not taking the interconnectedness between
human beings, non-human animals and other components of nature into account.
In contrast to anthropocentric goals, animal rights and animal welfare are largely
neglected in the agenda. The 2019 Global Sustainable Development report even claims
that animal welfare is missing from the Sustainable Development Agenda despite the
fact that strong links between human health and wellbeing and the welfare of animals
have been established.6 Only two Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) relate to
animals and biodiversity protection, that is, life below water (goal 14) and life on land
(goal 15), but these exclusively focus on ecosystem protection; respective targets are
not designed to promote the individual rights and welfare of animals. Moreover, SDGs
can be in conflict with one another, and decision-makers often prioritise human- centred
goals like economic growth (goal 8), infrastructure, industry and innovation (goal 9)
and clean and affordable energy (goal 7) over eco-centric goals, such as life below
water (goal 14) and life on land (goal 15).7 Hence, the Sustainable Development
Agenda is not transformative; it rather reproduces an unequal relationship between
human beings and non-human animals, dominated by anthropocentric – and unsustain-
able – action.
Despite the fact that human prosperity, animal well-being and planetary health
are strongly interwoven, inter-species relations have historically been neglected in the
practices of international organisations (IOs), like the UN, and in International Relations
(IR) scholarship. There is now a growing body of literature criticising IR anthropocen-
trism,8–10 the dualistic understanding of humans and nature,11 and the failure to acknowl-
edge the interrelatedness between world politics and non-human nature.12 This leads to
suggestions that we need to profoundly rethink IR,13 and develop a posthuman approach
in a world of multiple complexities.14 Fougner15 raises the ‘animal question’, which has
historically been neglected in IR, despite the fact that animals are present in many aspects
of IR human-animal relations and IR affects the lives of animals, for example in relation
to environmental destruction, zoonoses or trade. A challenge for IR will be to facilitate
the move beyond consideration of animals as resources,16 paying stronger attention to the
moral, political and legal implications of recognising animal sentience.
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