Human Rights and the Environment

A/HRC/RES/46/7View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 3Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, published in 2021.

What other versions does this mandate have?

8 versions · 2011–2021

2021A/HRC/RES/46/7Human rights and the environmentLatestCompare with previous version
2018A/HRC/RES/37/8Human rights and the environmentCompare with previous version
2017A/HRC/RES/34/20Human rights and the environmentCompare with previous version
2016A/HRC/RES/31/8Human rights and the environmentCompare with previous version
2015A/HRC/RES/28/11Human rights and the environmentCompare with previous version

Versions are identified automatically by matching titles within the same organ (~97% accuracy on a manual audit).

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

1 entity

Extracted automatically from each entity’s budget submission.

What subjects does this mandate have?

8 topics

Environment Environmental Policy Environmental Protection Epidemics Human Rights Human Rights Policy International Obligations Special Rapporteurs

What does this mandate say?

29 operative paragraphs

Welcomes the work undertaken by the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, including in the implementation of his mandate, the comprehensive, transparent and inclusive consultations conducted with relevant stakeholders, his thematic reports, and the undertaking of country visits;

Takes note with appreciation of the reports of the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the global water crisis: water pollution, water scarcity and water-related disasters and on the theme “Human rights depend on a healthy biosphere”, and also takes note of the recommendations therein;

Welcomes the work of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the issue of human rights and the environment, including its support for the United Nations Environment Management Group and the Secretary-General’s Call to Action for Human Rights, its collaboration with United Nations Environment Programme and other key partners, its engagement with multilateral environmental agreements, such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification and the Convention on Biological Diversity, to advance respect for and the protection and promotion of human rights when taking environmental action, when appropriate, and its efforts to promote an equitable and sustainable response to and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic;

Notes with appreciation the work of the United Nations Environment Programme, the Office of the High Commissioner and the United Nations Development Programme in the implementation of the strategic interventions developed under the Secretary-General’s Call to Action for Human Rights, in particular area 5;

Decides to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment for a period of three years;

Requests the Special Rapporteur, in fulfilling the mandate:

To continue to study the human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, in consultation with Governments, relevant international organizations and intergovernmental bodies, including the World Health Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Development Programme, and relevant multilateral environment agreements, human rights mechanisms, local authorities, national human rights institutions, indigenous peoples and civil society organizations, including those representing local communities and other persons in vulnerable situations, women, children and youth, the private sector and academic institutions;

To continue to identify, promote and exchange views on good practices relating to human rights obligations and commitments that inform, support and strengthen environmental policymaking, especially in the area of environmental protection, and in that regard to disseminate and consider updating documents elaborated by the previous mandate holder, as appropriate;

To work on identifying challenges and obstacles to the full realization of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment and protection gaps thereto, including in the context of sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals;

To continue to contribute to and participate in, where appropriate, intergovernmental conferences and meetings relevant to the mandate, including at the United Nations Environment Assembly and events relating to the fiftieth anniversary of the Stockholm Declaration adopted at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment;

To develop a dialogue, liaise and collaborate with all relevant stakeholders with a view to enhancing public awareness of the human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment;

To conduct country visits and to respond promptly to invitations from States;

To apply a gender perspective by, inter alia, considering the particular situation of women and girls and identifying gender-specific discrimination and vulnerabilities when addressing climate change and environmental degradation, strengthening and promoting women’s and girls’ leadership, decision-making and their full, equal and meaningful participation, and addressing good practices where women and girls act as agents of change in safeguarding and managing sustainably the environment;

To work in close coordination, while avoiding unnecessary duplication, with other special procedures and subsidiary organs of the Human Rights Council, relevant United Nations bodies, agencies, funds and programmes, including the World Health Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the United Nations Development Programme, the treaty bodies and international and regional organizations, and multilateral environmental agreements, taking into account the views of other stakeholders, including relevant regional human rights mechanisms, national human rights institutions, civil society organizations and academic institutions;

To submit an annual report, including conclusions and recommendations, to the Human Rights Council and to the General Assembly;

Calls upon all States, United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, other international organizations and non-governmental organizations, the private sector and national human rights institutions to cooperate fully with the Special Rapporteur, including by providing all necessary information relating to the mandate to enable him or her to fulfil the mandate;

Requests the High Commissioner to ensure that the Special Rapporteur receives the resources necessary to enable him or her to discharge the mandate fully;

Requests the Special Rapporteur, in collaboration with the Office of the High Commissioner:

To convene, prior to the fifty-second session of the Human Rights Council, an expert seminar on the role of human rights and environmental conservation in the prevention of future pandemics;

To invite States and other relevant stakeholders, including academic experts, civil society organizations and treaty bodies, to participate actively in the seminar;

To invite relevant experts of United Nations agencies, funds and programmes, other international organizations and conventions to participate in the seminar;

To submit to the Human Rights Council, at its fifty-second session, a summary report on the above-mentioned seminar, including any recommendations stemming therefrom, for consideration of further follow-up action;

Stresses the need for enhanced cooperation among States, the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Development Programme, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the Office of the High Commissioner, the World Health Organization and other relevant international and regional organizations, agencies, conventions and programmes, in accordance with their respective mandates, including by regularly exchanging knowledge and ideas and building synergies in the protection of human rights and the protection of the environment, bearing in mind an integrated and multisectoral approach;

Notes the launch of the One Health High-Level Expert Council in November 2020 by the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the World Organization for Animal Health and the United Nations Environment Programme to collect, distribute and publicize reliable scientific information on the links between human, animal and environmental health in order to assist public officials in making appropriate decisions to address future crises and to inform citizens;

Calls upon all States to conserve, protect and restore healthy ecosystems and biodiversity and to ensure their sustainable management and use by applying a human rights-based approach that emphasizes participation, inclusion, transparency and accountability in natural resource management;

Calls upon States parties to intensify their efforts to advance the implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity and to enhance their national biodiversity strategies and action plans;

Appeals to all States to consider adopting and implementing national measures that respect and protect the rights of those who are particularly vulnerable to the loss of healthy ecosystems and biodiversity;

Encourages States to apply a precautionary approach based on available scientific evidence in decisions that could harm ecosystems and biodiversity;

Decides to remain seized of the matter, in accordance with its annual programme of work.

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