Lawyer Annika Reynolds writes
n the early hours of the 9th October, the Human Rights Council – the top UN human rights body – formally recognised the human right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. This is a major achievement for environmental and human rights advocates.
The concept of a ‘human right to a healthy environment’ was first outlined in the Draft Declaration of Principles of Human Rights and the Environment, submitted to the UN by Special Rapporteur Fatma Zohra Ksentini in 1994. Since then, Australian NGOs have been advocating that the right to a healthy environment be recognised as a human right – both in international law and in Australian laws. This includes ongoing advocacy by legal groups like Australian Lawyers for Human Rights, and non-legal NGOs like the Climate and Health Alliance Australia, as well as grassroots campaigns.
So, what is the human right to a healthy environment?
Read on at
Explainer: What is the right to a healthy environment and why is it important?
