Last updated: 01 Apr 2022

The 49th Regular Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC49) took place in Geneva and online from 28 February to 1 April 2022. This page highlights the environmental-related activities of this session.

During the session, the Council considered over 100 reports being presented by more than 30 human rights experts and groups.  Around 50 country situations and 40 themes were addressed. The record-breaking 5-weeks session adopted 35 resolutions were adopted and appointed 11 mandate holders.

The meeting summaries are available on the UN Geneva website.

UN Secretary General’s Opening Remarks

In his Opening Remarks at HRC49, the UN Secretary General welcomed the Council’s recognition of the right to a healthy environment. (Video available here)

Young people, women and girls, small island States and indigenous communities are leading the fight back. We stand with them.  I welcome this Council’s recognition of the right to a healthy environment — an important tool for accountability and climate justice.  Many of the proposals in my report on Our Common Agenda offer critical opportunities to advance this right.
– UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Opening of the 49th regular session of the Human Rights Council

The Right Not to Be Exposed to a Toxic Environment

At this session of the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment (SR Environment) and the Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights (SR Toxics) presented a joint report on “The right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment: non-toxic environment“. This report identifies a non-toxic environment as one of the substantive elements of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, which was adopted at the 48th session of the Human Rights Council.

The report describes the ongoing toxification of people and the planet, which is causing environmental injustices and creating “sacrifice zones”, extremely contaminated areas where vulnerable and marginalized groups bear a disproportionate burden of the health, human rights and environmental consequences of exposure to pollution and hazardous substances. At HRC49, the SR Environment presented these findings, highlighting State obligations, business responsibilities and good practices related to ensuring a non-toxic environment by preventing pollution, eliminating the use of toxic substances and rehabilitating contaminated sites.

Key Quotes

SR Environment David Boyd

“The toxification of earth is intensifying. Hundreds of millions of tons of chemicals are dumped annually into our air, water and soil. Production of chemicals are expected to double by 2030 and triple by 2050. Unless ambitious urgent and worldwide action is taken, exposures will increase, health will worsen, and human rights violation will multiply.

Achieving a non-toxic environment is a human rights obligation, not an option. The recent recognition of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment by the Human Rights Council should mark a turning point in society’s approach to pollution and toxic substances.

“States and businesses must vigorously pursue zero pollution and the elimination of toxic substances. Prevention, precaution and non-discrimination must be the paramount principles in environmental policymaking… A human rights-based approach to preventing exposure to pollution and toxic chemicals could save millions of lives, improve the quality of life for billions of people and save trillions of dollars.

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Delegation of the country concerned

“The biggest challenge for the country is climate change, which is wreaking havoc on farms, fisheries, housing infrastructure and communities, violating many rights, including cultural rights. Saint Vincent and the Grenadines have supported and implemented several important and ambitious programmes on climate change, but it is the action of historical large emitters which would make a real difference in countering the issue. We are committed to advocate and champion towards countering the climate crisis in our foreign policy.”

Yves Lador, Permanent Representative of Earthjustice to UN Geneva

“The right to not be exposed to hazardous substances is vital as repeatedly stated by the SR on toxics and HR since 1995. Today’s report illustrates the current extent of the violation of this right. Sacrifice zones show the limitation of fragmented environmental policies. The right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment has a role to play by providing a more coherent vision of the measures to be taken by States to prevent the emergence of such zones and to rehabilitate them where they exist.

“Sacrifice zones are also created by the worsening of climate change and loss of ecosystems. Therefore this Council must keep a close eye on all of them. We call on the Special Procedures to continue to collaborate and regularly report on all these zones.”

Additional Resources

Climate Change and Human Rights

Special Rapporteur for Climate Change and Human Rights

At its last session in October 2021, the Human Rights Council adopted a resolution establishing the mandate of a Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change (resolution 48/14). Thanks to the efforts of the core group behind resolution 47/24, the possibility of creating a new special procedure addressing the adverse impact of climate change was placed on the agenda of the Council, and was adopted with 42 votes in favor, 1 against and 4 abstentions.

In its 49th Session, the Council has appointed Ian FRY (Tuvalu) as the first mandate holder for this newly established procedure for a period of three years. The mandate of the independent expert is to “study and identify how the adverse effects of climate change, including sudden and slow onset disasters, affect the full and effective enjoyment of human rights and make recommendations on how to address and prevent these adverse effects”. The Council also requested the Advisory Committee of the Human Rights Council to conduct a study and to prepare a report, in close cooperation with the Special Rapporteur, on the impact of new technologies for climate protection on the enjoyment of human rights.

A total of 26 candidates have applied for the position (see the list here). In its report to the President, the Consultative Group acknowledged the new SR Fry alongside Astrid Puentes Riaño (Mexico) for their solid expertise on the issue of climate change and human rights, and their experience and knowledge of the UN system.

Climate Change and the Right to a Healthy Environment

Following the publication of the latest report from the IPCC Working Group II “Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability”, a side event to the 49th regular session of the Human Rights Council entitled “The IPCC 2022 Climate Change Report and its Relationship with the Effective Enjoyment of the Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment” was organized to highlight the relationship between the findings of the report and the effective enjoyment of the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

Highlights

David Boyd, speaking on what needs to be done to advance the Right to a Healthy Environment in light of the climate crisis

Thomas BERNAUER, lead author of WGII report, speaks at the HRC49 side event on climate change and the Right to a Healthy Environment

Climate Change Impact on Violence Against Children

Najat Maalla M’jid, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children, mentioned during the interactive dialogue that the urgency of ending violence against children had not diminished since she last addressed the Council, it had increased due to the impact of the pandemic and multiple humanitarian crises caused by conflict, climate change and natural disasters. In her report to the Council, she mentions that humanitarian crises, including those linked to climate change and armed conflict, continue to fuel violence, displacement and economic devastation.  Watch the interactive dialogue

Climate Change and Children in Armed Conflict

Virginia Gamba, the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict expressed in her report to the HRC49 the importance of tackling Climate Emergency and how this can contribute building peaceful and resilient communities. As international and regional organizations increase their engagement and activities on climate security, it will be important to consider the specific needs of conflict-affected children in their discussions. The Special Representative is encouraging research on the nexus between climate change and grave violations against children in conflict-affected countries.   Watch the interactive dialogue

Additional Resources

Right to Food and Agriculture

The Special Rapporteur on the right to food (SR Food) presented the report “Seeds, right to life, and farmers rights” at HRC49. This report provides a framework for the advancement of farmers, indigenous peoples and workers rights and a guide for States to ensure that the worlds seed systems are biodiverse and safe and fulfill human rights obligations. It also serves as a reminder of the importance of biodiversity in agricultural systems as a foundation for achieving the right to food for all.

In his address to Member States, SR Food Michael Fakhri highlights that the type of seed system they decide to support will determine their ability to tackle hunger, famine and malnutrition. “The more ecologically diverse your food system the more options you’ll have to develop plans that are resilient to climate change,” he adds.

SR Food points out that in the last 60 years, more and more countries have been promoting the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides and reduce their biodiversity. Quoting South African farmer, Patelini Makalule,

If you poison the seed, you are poisoning food. You are poisoning the plant and interfering with the food system. If you don’t have the wild, you are killing the food systems.

SR Food highlights the two types of seed systems: farmer seed systems and commodity seed systems. “Farmer seed systems allow allows farmers to freely use and exchange seeds, enabling them to grow food that responds and adapts to change. These systems rely less on chemical fertilizers and pesticides, and protect lives of agricultural workers and communities, and enhance biodiversity.”

On the other hand, commodity seed systems are dedicated to the production of homogenous varieties. “They depend on chemical inputs: when a plant and its genetic material are turned into a commodity, it becomes easier for a small number of people to control seeds by restricting access against the majority of humanity.” According to SR Food, only four agro-chemical companies control 60% of the global seed market and 75% of the global pesticides market, allowing them to unfairly control the price and distribution of seeds.

SR Food also highlights the risk of a legal contradiction between the two systems: farmer seed systems rely on the inalienable rights of farmers and peasants that ensure that seeds are free, while commodity seed systems turn seeds into property. “The legal problem can be solved if all member states enact farmers rights into national legislation and prioritize that national and international support for farmer seed systems, as farmer seed systems are the precondition of any functional food systems, where commodity food systems rely on the farmer saved seeds for the raw genetic material.”

To conclude, SR Food recounts that in 2019, wheat farmers in Jordan started a project, Al-Barakeh Wheat (Wheat of the Blessings), to restore their wheat fields and to encourage Jordanians to reconnect with the land and the food they eat. He ends by calling on Member States

If you protect your seed systems by fully realizing farmers and workers rights, by framing everything in terms of the right to life, you will bring blessings to your life in these violent times.

Biodiversity and Human Rights

Geneva Meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity

In parallel to this session of the Human Rights Council and the Geneva meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), various events have addressed biodiversity in human rights. Stakeholders are encouraging member stated to apply a human-rights based approach in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework.

The key messages convened:

  1. A human rights-based approach means, in simple terms, that biodiversity policies, governance and management do not violate human rights.
  2. Indigenous peoples and local communities’ ways of life and territories are part of the solution.
  3. The rights of women and girls to participate are enshrined in the Convention.
  4. The rights of younger and future generations are intergenerational and sacred. Transformative education and full engagement of children and youth are essential.
  5. Review, reporting, and monitoring constitute critical elements of this framework.
  6. The need for an additional inter-sessional meeting dedicated to the monitoring framework should be called.

The third brief of the CBD Human Rights in Biodiversity Working Group – Implementing a human rights-based approach to biodiversity conservation: What is urgently needed to effectively adopt a human rights-based approach across the implementation, monitoring and reporting of the post-2020 global biodiversity framework – was launched mid-March and presented at the CBD Side Event | Applying a Human Rights-based Approach in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework, 0n 19 March.

A second event, CBD Side Event | Integrating Human Rights in the Future of Biodiversity Action will build upon the recent recognition of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right by Human Rights Council resolution 48/13, will share ideas for a Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework that promotes rights-based action to protect biodiversity. The event took place on 22 March.

Biodiversity and the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

The CBD Side Event | How Can the New Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) Be a Tool for Strengthening Rights-Based Forest Protection and Increased Funding for Indigenous Peoples? also took place on 18 March. The session provided concrete input to formulations in the new GBF ensuring the rights of indigenous peoples and building actions and programs on their vast experience and knowledge in sustainable forest management, not only in area-based conservation targets but across the GBF.

The Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples will dedicate the annual report to the Council to review the ways in which lands and resources are removed from indigenous peoples’ control for conservancies, climate change programmes, national parks, game reserves and cultural heritage protection. The Special Rapporteur kindly requests submissions from Member States and inter-governmental entities, UN agencies, indigenous peoples and organizations, civil society actors, humanitarian and development organizations, national human rights institutions, business representatives and other stakeholders, to contribute to the preparation of the report. → Submit your input

Resources

Resources on the UN Biodiversity Conference, processes, documents, positions and calls to action related to human rights and biodiversity.

General Documents, Positions and Calls to Action

Additional Resources

Environmental Human Rights Defenders

Conservation NGOs at Risk

On the sidelines of both the 49th session of the Human Rights Council and the Geneva meetings of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the University of Geneva, IUCN CEESP, and the Geneva Environment Network organized the launch of a new report, “Conservation NGOs at risk”. The report from the University of Geneva stresses the shrinking civic spaces, deteriorating conditions and attacks faced by conservation NGOs across the world, creating a silent crisis of NGOs struggling with harassment and shrinking spaces.

Building on on-going work to Geneva Roadmap 40/11 in support of environmental defenders, the report underlines the importance of enabling environments to secure effective and equitable conservation. The event presented key findings by the author followed by hands-on perspectives from multiple NGO expert perspectives from around the world.

High-Level Panel on Environmental Human Rights Defenders

Sweden and OHCHR also organised a high-level panel on environmental human rights defenders to highlight the dangers environmental human rights defenders face for their work in protecting the communities and the environment.

During the event, Michelle Bachelet, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, highlighted UN Human Rights work to support environmental human rights defenders such as in the Pacific and in South-East Asia. She reiterated the States’ obligation to “respect, protect and fulfil the rights of environmental human rights defenders and the communities they represent.” The event concluded with a call to better protect environmental human rights defenders.

Additional Resources

On the Road to Stockholm+50

In 1972, the United Nations adopted the Stockholm Declaration on the Human Environment, opening the field of international environment law and policy. In June 2022, the Stockholm+50 high-level international meeting will commemorate fifty years since this major milestone.

In the face of the triple planetary crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution, this HRC49 side event held on 30 March 2022 entitled “The Human Rights Council Contributions to Protecting Human and Natural Environment“, experts held a discussion on how human rights, particularly the UN Human Rights Council and its different bodies and procedures contribute to the protection of both people and nature. → Summary and video available here.

This is also the first Geneva Stockholm+50 Dialogue, a series that aims to showcase Geneva’s contribution to this major global conference happening in June 2022. → More on the dialogues.

Events

High-level Event on Environmental Human Rights Defenders

1 March, 14:00-15:30 CET | Sweden & OHCHR

Conservation NGOs at Risk

Geneva Environmental Network, University of Geneva, IUCN CEESP | 9 March 2022, 14:00 – 15.00 CET

HRC49 Side Event | The IPCC 2022 Climate Change Report and its Relationship with the Effective Enjoyment of the Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment

Core Group Human Rights & Environment, Core Group on Human Rights & Climate Change, Core Group on the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Climate Change | 10 March, 12:30 CET

HRC49 Side Event | Non-toxic environments to live, work, study and play

SR Environment and SR Toxics | 11 March 2022, 15:30 CET

HRC49 Side Event | The human rights impact of climate change: an international and local challenge

High Commissioner & Core group on Special Rapporteur Climate Change (Bahamas, EU, Fiji, Marshall Islands, Panama, Paraguay and Sudan) | 14 March 2022, 15.00 – 16.00 CET

CBD Side Event | Applying a Human Rights-based Approach in the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework

SwedBio at SRC, FPP, GYBN, ICCA Consortium, IIFB, W4B, UNEP, WWF, Natural Justice, OHCHR, CBD & Geneva Environment Network | 19 March 2022 | 13:15–14:45 | CICG Room 4 & Online

The Drums for the Earth

Maloca Internationale | 20 March 2022 | 15:00-18:00 | Place des Nations

CBD Side Event | Integrating Human Rights in the Future of Biodiversity Action

OHCHR | 22 March 2022 | 13:15–14:45 | CICG Room D & Online

Stockholm+50 and Human Rights | The Human Rights Council Contributions to Protecting Human and Natural Environment

France, Costa Rica, Earthjustice, Geneva Environment Network | 30 March 2022, 14:00–15:30 | International Environment House & Online (Webex)

Reports

20th International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights

The International Film Festival and Forum on Human Rights (FIFDH), the leading international event dedicated to film and human rights, is taking place in Geneva from 4-13 March 2021, in parallel to HRC49. Among many insightgul activities, the festival also showcased a selection of films and discussions on environmental issues.

FIFDH Impact Day

Some films have the power to effect long-lasting changes within our societies. To strengthen the potential of cinematic storytelling as a tool to reinforce human rights protection, the FIFDH launched in 2019 the Impact Days. Through this programme filmmakers, producers, NGOs, and foundations get together to find alliances and strategies, increase the quality and results of their joint actions and positively impact the world we live in.

For this edition, the Impact Day was held on 7 and 8 March. Several of the 16 selected documentary projects for the programme are addressing environment-related issues:

  • From Cold War To Green War | Since 2002, around 2000 environmentalists have been murdered worldwide. Of those, 70% happened in Latin America, an Eldorado of natural resources. What connections exist between these deaths and Latin America’s political past?
  • High Tide Don’t Hide | Striking teenagers discover that activism, authority, and awareness make for a steep learning curve in the race for existence.
  • The Half Truths | An Indian tribal schoolteacher is unexpectedly caught in the crossfire between a mining company and indigenous rebel forces. She is arrested, imprisoned, tortured and raped. She peacefully unites 100,000 tribes against the government.
  • Tigre Gente | A Bolivian park ranger and a young Hong Kongese journalist risk their lives to go undercover and investigate a new, deadly jaguar trade that’s sweeping South America.

Call for Submissions

Special Procedures

The special procedure mandate-holders are independent human rights experts who help advance human rights, by reporting and advancing from a country-specific or thematic perspective, some of which are related to the environment. Calls for submissions are made to help mandate-holders prepare their reports to the Human Rights Council.

Protected Areas and Indigenous Peoples’ Rights: the Obligations of States and International Organizations

Pursuant to Resolution 42/20 of the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples will dedicate the annual report to review the ways in which lands and resources are removed from indigenous peoples’ control for conservancies, climate change programmes, national parks, game reserves and cultural heritage protection. The Special Rapporteur kindly requests submissions from Member States and inter-governmental entities, UN agencies, indigenous peoples and organizations, civil society actors, humanitarian and development organizations, national human rights institutions, business representatives and other stakeholders, to contribute to the preparation of the report. Submissions are open until 22 March 2022. → Submit your input

Mercury, Artisanal and Small-Scale Gold Mining and Human Rights

The Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights launches the process of gathering inputs from States and other stakeholders to inform his thematic report on mercury, artisanal and small-scale gold mining and human rights. The report will be presented to the 51st session of the UN Human Rights Council in September 2022. The Special Rapporteur kindly requests States, UN agencies, civil society organizations, academics, business enterprises and all other interested parties to share views and relevant information, which could feed this report. Submissions are open until 28 March 2022. → Submit your input

Violence Against Women and Girls in the Context of the Climate Crisis

To inform the report on violence against women and girls in the context of the climate crisis, including environmental degradation and related disaster risk mitigation and response, which will be presented at the 77th session of the General Assembly, the Special Rapporteur kindly seeks the support of States, National Human Rights Institutions, civil society actors, international organizations, academics and other stakeholders to provide updated information and inputs on the report’s theme. Submissions are open until 31 March 2022 → Submit your input

Impact of Toxics on Indigenous Peoples

The Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights also launches the process of gathering inputs from States and other stakeholders to inform his thematic report on the impacts of toxics on Indigenous peoples and human rights. The report will be presented at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly in October 2022. The report is seeksing for information on how toxics have affected Indigenous peoples’ rights and how States are taking steps to eliminate the effects of toxic exposure on Indigenous peoples. This information may include ways that Indigenous peoples are being exposed to toxics, ways that countries are preventing Indigenous peoples’ exposure to toxics, and the legal rights and remedies available to Indigenous peoples exposed to toxics and hazardous waste. Submissions are open until 25 April 2022. → Submit your input

Impact of New Technologies for Climate Change and Human Rights

In its adopted resolution 48/14, the Human Rights Council has also requested the Advisory Committee to conduct a study and to prepare a report, in close cooperation with the Special Rapporteur on human rights in the context of climate change, on the impact of new technologies for climate protection on the enjoyment of human rights, and to submit the report to the Council at its fifty-fourth session (September 2023). As such, the Advisory Committee kindly invites inputs from relevant stakeholders, in order to integrate the information in the study. Submissions are open until 29 April 2022→ Submit your input

Other

General Comment: Child rights, environment, human rights | Children and Young People’s Online Consultations

The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child is taking a significant step to hold governments accountable for ensuring children live in a clean, green, healthy and sustainable world. They are inviting people from around the world to inform the General Comment on Children’s Rights and the Environment with a Special Focus on Climate Change (General Comment No. 26) – official United Nations guidance on how children’s rights are impacted by the environmental crisis and what governments must do to uphold these rights. Young people ages 17 and under are invited to share their views and experiences on their rights, the environment and climate change. → Submit your input

 

Links

Past HRC Sessions

Who to Follow on Twitter

#HRC49

@UN_HRC | UN Human Rights Council
@FVillegasARG | H.E. Amb. Federico Villegas, Permanent Representative of Argentina to the United Nations Office at Geneva, President of the Human Rights Council in 2022
@UNHumanRights | The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights)
@mbachelet | United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
@SRtoxics | Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes
@SREnvironment | Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment
@ISHRglobal | The International Service for Human Rights
@FranciscansIntl | Franciscans International
@Geneva_Academy | Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights
@hrw | Human Rights Watch
@URGthinktank | Universal Rights Group (URG)
@YvesLador | Special Representative of Earthjustice in Geneva
@duycks | Senior Attorney – Climate and Energy Programme at the Center for International Environmental Law
@katha_nina | Katharina Rall, Senior environment researcher at HumanRights Watch
@ChildRightsCnct | Child Rights Connect
@CERI_Coalition |
Children’s Environmental Rights Initiative (CERI)
@CRINwire | Child Rights International Network