The United Nations General Assembly adopted a historic resolution declaring that access to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a universal human right on Thursday.
Of the 169 member countries present and participants in the seat, 161 voted for and 8 abstained, namely China, the Russian Federation, Belarusian, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Iran, Kirghizstan and Syria.
The Secretary General of the United Nations, António Guterres, welcomed this “historic” decision. According to him, this striking development shows that Member States can unite in the collective fight against triple planetary crisis that are climate change, loss of biodiversity and pollution.
“The resolution will contribute to reducing environmental injustices, filling in protection gaps and giving people of action to people, in particular those in vulnerable situations, including human rights defenders, children, young people, women and indigenous peoples,” he said in a statement published by the office of his spokesperson.
The text, initially presented by Costa Rica, the Maldives, Morocco, Slovenia and Switzerland last June, and now co -pacarraine by more than 100 countries, notes that the right to a healthy environment is linked to existing international law and affirms that its promotion requires the full implementation of multilateral environmental agreements.
It also acknowledges that the impact of climate change, the unsustainable management and use of natural resources, air, land and water pollution, mismanagement of chemicals and waste, and the loss of biodiversity resulting from it, interfere with the enjoyment of this right – and that environmental damage have negative, direct and indirect implications, on effective enjoyment of all human rights.
