HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

The document is a curated bibliography compiled by David Downes for the Center for International Environmental Law in 1992. It lists legal precedents, international directives, and scholarly articles that explore the relationship between human rights and the environment, with a particular focus on indigenous peoples' rights, the role of international development banks, and the emerging concept of a right to a healthy environment.

• The bibliography includes legal cases where environmental degradation or resource development was linked to human rights violations, such as the Ominayak v. Canada case, where oil and mineral development threatened the way of life of the Lubicon Lake Band.
• The document references World Bank Operational Directives from September and October 1991 regarding environmental assessments and policies for projects affecting indigenous peoples.
• The collection features scholarly debates on the 'right to development,' including a critique by Yash Ghai arguing that the concept has been used by authoritarian regimes in developing countries to extract resources from the West.
• The bibliography highlights literature advocating for the establishment of a human right to a safe and healthy environment to protect future generations and human health.

APA

Downes, D. (1992). HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/HRE_Biography_1992.pdf

Chicago

Downes, David. HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY. Center for International Environmental Law, 1992. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/HRE_Biography_1992.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Downes |first1=David |title=HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=1 July 1992 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/HRE_Biography_1992.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{downes1992human, author = {Downes, David}, title = {{HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {1992}, month = jul, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/HRE_Biography_1992.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }