UN Global Recognition Right Healthy Environment

The statement advocates for the UN General Assembly to recognize the right to a healthy and sustainable environment, noting that while over 100 national constitutions and various regional treaties already protect this right, the lack of global UN recognition creates a gap in the human rights protection regime. It asserts that such recognition would prioritize the prevention of environmental degradation and strengthen legal remedies against corporate and public policy failures.

• There is a strong global trend toward recognizing the right to a healthy environment at national and regional levels, with more than 100 national constitutions including explicit provisions and the right being protected in over three quarters of the world's nations.
• The United Nations has not yet taken decisive action toward global recognition of the right to a healthy environment, which the author claims weakens the overall human rights project by leaving a gap in the protection regime.
• Global recognition of the right to a healthy environment would not create a new right but would instead confirm its equal importance to other human rights, increase the urgency of policies to prevent environmental degradation, and strengthen legal remedies for those affected by corporate behavior or inadequate public policies.
• The UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment proposed that the UN General Assembly recognize the right to a healthy and sustainable environment, suggesting mechanisms such as a dedicated UN General Assembly Resolution or the French proposal for a Global Pact for the Environment.

APA

Duyck, S. (2018). UN Global Recognition Right Healthy Environment. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/un-global-recognition-right-healthy-environment/

Chicago

Duyck, Sébastien. UN Global Recognition Right Healthy Environment. Center for International Environmental Law, 2018. https://www.ciel.org/un-global-recognition-right-healthy-environment/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Duyck |first1=Sébastien |title=UN Global Recognition Right Healthy Environment |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=25 October 2018 |url=https://www.ciel.org/un-global-recognition-right-healthy-environment/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{duyck2018global, author = {Duyck, Sébastien}, title = {{UN Global Recognition Right Healthy Environment}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2018}, month = oct, url = {https://www.ciel.org/un-global-recognition-right-healthy-environment/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }