Stay informed: News and articles on our environment.

“It is our believe that a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment is integral to the full enjoyment of a wide range of human rights, including the rights to life, health, food, water and sanitation. Therefore a possible recognition of the right at a global level could have numerous important implications on our and future […]

The present report is the first submitted by the current mandate holder of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders, Mary Lawlor. She outlines herein how she intends to approach and develop the subject of her mandate in the coming years. She presents her priorities and working methods and offers a brief overview of her […]

Statement from the NYC Bar Association calling for UN recognition of the right to a healthy environment. Long and detailed, and very useful in addressing questions about the recognition of the right to a healthy environment. Read the full statement: click here

Advocating for the international recognition of the right to a healthy environment at the Human Rights Council: Excellencies, We, the undersigned, are pleased to address this letter to you in your capacity as a member of the Human Rights Council core group on human rights and the environment. We have been delighted, over recent months, […]

The Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, Dr. David Boyd, is working to provide additional clarity regarding the substantive rights and obligations that are essential to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.   He has submitted reports on clean air, a safe climate, and a healthy biosphere, as well […]

‘In 2016, the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL) launched the Esperanza Protocol. This project hopes to provide a timely and effective solution in addressing threats faced by human rights defenders, journalists, and others tasked with preserving democracies and the full enjoyment of human rights across the world. Historically and globally, threats against human […]

‘Mexico’s president launched a blistering attack on several environmentalist groups Friday, suggesting they were being paid by foreign foundations to oppose his controversial train project in the Yucatan peninsula. One group demanded President Andrés Manuel López Obrador apologize, claiming he was “criminalizing” environmentalists.’ (…) Read this news from The Washington Post: click here

‘The Inter-American Human Rights System is an important tool for Latin American human rights defenders, but why are the Court and the Commission lagging behind on climate change issues? In Latin America—just as the rest of the world and particularly the global South—the burden of destruction in the context of climate-related impacts is asymmetrically borne […]

‘The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted life as we know it; millions of people have been diagnosed with the virus and over half a million have had their lives tragically cut short. It has exposed the inadequacies of many healthcare systems and has further tested public faith in the government officials tasked with protecting us. It […]

‘Kenyan authorities have burned down 28 homes belonging to the indigenous Sengwer community in the Embobut Forest in Western Kenya. “What is happening now is so dangerous, especially during this COVID-19 pandemic,” said Elias Kimaiyo, a Sengwer community leader in Embobut. Many community members had left the area in search of food when the raid […]