There is an urgent need to consider new approaches to Sustainable Development, and the need for such approaches should be rooted in the recognition of an inalienable right to a safe and healthy environment. We would suggest that the principles of human rights, the right to life and the right to development couldn’t be realized in the absence of the right to a healthy environment.
Ever since the Stockholm Declaration in 1972, where principle one
established a foundation point for the linkages between human rights and environmental protection, the road to get this link internationally recognised has been uphill and still we have a long way to go.
This link was definitely incorporated to the international law system through the regional implementation of Principle 10 of Rio Declaration at the Economic Commission for Europe at the United Nations: the Aarhus Convention and its Preamble. The international Treaty means a new approach in the field of access to instrumental rights to defend the environment – broad access to information, effective participation in public decisions regarding the environment and easy access to the Courts to enforce environmental law , at the same time who describe the environmental education and participative democracy as a goal of the implementation.
Probably the biggest problem is the fact that the concept is rather vague. What we need are clear definitions to make the concept more understandable for all parties. In theory, existing human rights legislation should protect our environment, but this does not happen in practice. It is especially the marginalized groups that suffer disproportionately from this lack of implementation.
Everybody is entitled to a healthy environment. This specific right cannot be brought to court internationally (nationally you can bring it to court in many countries); unfortunately, it is not enforceable as such.
Environmental and Human Rights
Presentation on the use of linking Human Rights to environmental degradation.
Human Rights & Sustainable Development Briefing Paper
PAST ACTIVITIES
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Campaign materials consist of a letter asking for support expression by means of a signature, a return sheet, and an example letter to the government to offer the collected signatures. These materials are based on a national campaign on Environmental Human Rights which was started by the Monitoring Network for Health and Environment (member organisation of ANPED). The Monitoring Network for Health and Environment was able to collect 75 signatures from organisations as well as 190 signatures of individuals.
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