Amnesty International has joined more than 850 civil society organisations, indigenous peoples’ groups, social movements, and local communities to call on the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to recognise the universal human right to a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.

In an open letter signed by the organisations and sent to the council, they said that people must be protected from the deadly impacts of environmental degradation and climate change.

‘In view of the global environmental crisis that currently violates and jeopardises the human rights of billions of people on our planet, global recognition of this right is a matter of utmost urgency’, the letter read.

It was noted that the right to a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment was already covered in constitutions and laws in a substantial majority of countries around the world, as well as regional systems; however, there was a growing legal system for implementing and applying the right.

‘Now, advocates for human rights, indigenous peoples, climate action and social justice are urging the UN Human Rights Council to formalise this recognition and make it universal’, they added.

‘In doing so, the Human Rights Council would prompt countries to strengthen policies and legislation to take better care of nature and biodiversity’.

According to them, this would lead to cleaner air, greater access to safe drinking water, and lower greenhouse gas emissions and also provide environmental justice for communities that are exposed to degraded and dangerous environments.

Source: Amnesty International

Photo source: United Nations Photos