It’s been five decades since Sweden hosted the world’s first conference to make the environment a major issue, in recognition of the “human sacrifice zone” it could become, if we fail to look after it, according to UN human rights experts. On Monday, ahead of fresh discussions in Stockholm this week to discuss further action, the experts warned that much greater efforts are needed which could save millions of lives every year. Leading the call for countries to implement constitutional change and strong environmental laws to bring about positive change, UN-appointed independent rights expert David Boyd said that all such discussions should stem from the recognition of everyone’s right to a healthy environment. Echoing that call, Marcos Orellana, UN Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights, also said that we should not forget how human rights inspired key elements of the original 1972 Stockholm Declaration. In October 2021, in a landmark resolution, the Human Rights Council in Geneva recognized for the first time the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. Kaye and Orellana, together with fellow Special Rapporteurs Francisco Calí Tzay and Ian Fry – encouraged States to encourage the UN General Assembly to consider recognizing the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment at its earliest convenience, just as the UN Human Rights Council had done.
By UN News. May 30, 2022.
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