Mandate of Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment

A/HRC/RES/55/2View 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 2024.

Who cites this mandate in the budget?

1 entity

Extracted automatically from each entity’s budget submission.

What subjects does this mandate have?

3 topics

Environment Human Rights Special Rapporteurs

What does this mandate say?

16 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;

Also welcomes the work undertaken by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Environment Programme, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women in support of the mandate of the Special Rapporteur and in helping to clarify the relationship between human rights and the environment;

Decides to renew the mandate of Special Rapporteur as Special Rapporteur on the human right to a 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 the human right to a 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 environmental agreements, human rights mechanisms, local authorities, national human rights institutions, Indigenous Peoples, environmental human rights defenders and civil society organizations, including those representing local communities and other persons in vulnerable situations, women, children and youth, persons with disabilities, 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 prepared 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 the human right to a 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;

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 the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment;

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

To apply an age-sensitive and disability-inclusive approach and 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 the environment sustainably;

To work in close coordination, while avoiding unnecessary duplication, with other special procedures and mechanisms 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 United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to ensure that the Special Rapporteur receives the resources necessary to enable him or her to discharge the mandate fully;

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

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