Press Briefing | Time Is Now for a Healthy Environment for All | HRC48

Registration

Kindly register on Zoom to attend the virtual press conference.

Who

Moderated by Kevin Wehlan, UN Representative, Amnesty International (TBC)

Speakers include:

• Astrid Puentes Riaño, Former Co-Executive Director, The Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense
• Chimunya Mutombo, Environmental Activist and Member of Terre des Hommes International Youth Network
• Andrea Carmen, Executive Director, International Indian Treaty Council (TBC)
• Michael Windfuhr, Deputy Director, German Institute for Human Rights
• Farooq Ullah, Advocacy Strategist, The B-Team

What

On Tuesday, 5 October at 14:00 CEST – GMT+2, young people, business, civil society organizations, human rights institutions and other stakeholders, will come together to host a press briefing demonstrating the widespread and global solidarity on the call for governments to support the universal recognition of the human right to a healthy environment.

When

Tuesday, 5 October 2021 14:00 CEST (GMT+2)

Why

The governments of Costa Rica, Maldives, Morocco, Slovenia and Switzerland, or the “Core Group”, have put forth a resolution to recognize our right to a healthy environment at the Human Rights Council 48th Session (13 September- 8 October). On 8 October governments in the Human Rights Council will determine whether they will adopt the resolution recognizing our right to a healthy environment. Ahead of this moment, all governments, including those not in the Human Rights Council, have an opportunity to support the recognition of the right to a healthy environment.

By finally filling this glaring gap in the architecture of international human rights law, the Human Rights Council’s recognition of such a right will highlight that human rights have to be guaranteed and effective in the face of environmental challenges and send a crucial and positive message to the communities exposed to degraded, hazardous or threatening environments.

Since 2020, the movement for the right of all people to a healthy environment has gained significant momentum across the globe, including:

• Over 144,000 children, young people and allies from more than 144 countries signing a petition calling for the right to a healthy environment;
• Over 1,300 civil society and Indigenous Peoples organizations from over 75 countries endorsing a Global Call for the UN to Recognize the Right to a Healthy Environment;
• More than 110 human rights institutions, as part of the The Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, welcoming the resolution for the right to a healthy environment; and
• 50 business organizations and coalitions issuing a statement calling for universal recognition of the right to a healthy environment.

Media Contacts

• Cate Bonacini, Center for international Environmental Law (CIEL) – press@ciel.org
• Kristen Cordero, Children’s Environmental Rights Initiative (CERI) – secretariat@childrenvironment.org
• Yves Lador, Earthjustice – yves.lador@bluewin.ch