We are pleased to deliver this statement on behalf of Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Earthjustice and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL).
We wish to congratulate Professor John Knox for the prolific work carried out during his mandate, including his new report on child rights and the environment. The rigor of his legal analysis has clarified many of the linkages between human rights and the environment.
Building on Professor Knox’s reports, the Council has adopted resolutions by consensus that reflect incremental steps in the field. We are concerned, however, that the Council’s steps thus far are inadequate to fully address what is needed for the protection of human rights.
There is an urgent need to bridge the wide gap between international bodies, including the Council, and the reality of our planet and its people. We therefore welcome the Special Rapporteur’s framework principles as a baseline synthesis of human rights obligations that can begin to bridge this gap.
We are encouraged by Professor Knox’s recommendations regarding the right to a healthy and sustainable environment. Global recognition of this right is overdue. At a time when environmental human rights defenders are killed every week, when millions of people are denied clean air and clean water, when deforestation, climate change and biodiversity loss are unabated, the Council has the responsibility to act with determination to protect fundamental rights. And the time to act is now.
The human right to a healthy and sustainable environment protects the core elements of the natural environment that enable a life of dignity. Clean water, air, and soils, and diverse ecosystems are indispensable for people to lead healthy lives. More generally, the right also protects the civic space needed for individuals to engage in dialogue on environmental policy.
Recognizing and implementing the right to a healthy and sustainable environment will empower individuals and communities to defend their environment by invoking the right in their struggle for accountability.
For these reasons, Mr. President, we believe the Council should act on the Special Rapporteur’s recommendation and move toward recognition of the right to a healthy and sustainable environment.
To conclude, we wish to ask Professor Knox: in today’s context, what concrete steps could the Council take to make progress toward recognition of this right?
