HUMAN RIGHTS & ENVIRONMENT IN THE RIO+20 UN CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

This policy brief by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) argues that the success of the Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development depends on integrating a rights-based approach. It examines the historical evolution of human rights and environmental linkages from 1972 to 2002 and critiques the January 2012 Zero Draft of the Rio+20 outcome document for failing to recognize the fundamental right to a healthy environment.

• The Rio+20 Conference focuses on two primary themes: the green economy within the context of poverty eradication and sustainable development, and the institutional framework for sustainable development.
• Historical UN conferences show a shift in focus from global environmental issues toward a development dimension that integrates economic and social issues, which the author suggests may have diluted the focus on environmental protection and prioritized economic aspects.
• The 1972 Stockholm Declaration was the first international instrument to explicitly link human rights and environmental protection, stating that humans have a fundamental right to adequate conditions of life in an environment that allows for dignity and well-being.
• While the 1992 Earth Summit and the 2002 World Sustainable Development Summit (WSSD) addressed sustainable development and procedural rights, both failed to explicitly recognize a right to the environment.
• The January 2012 Zero Draft of the Rio+20 outcome document, "The Future We Want," is criticized for not recognizing the fundamental right to a healthy environment and for containing only limited references to human rights, such as the right to food, water, sanitation, and access to information.
• CIEL recommends that the Rio+20 outcome document explicitly recognize the right to a healthy and sustaining environment and that this right be integrated into the mandate of a new environmental organization or the Ombudsman for Future Generations.
• The brief suggests that a global treaty or regional conventions could be used to elaborate on the obligations of Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration, citing the Aarhus Convention as a model for ensuring access to information, public participation, and justice.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2012). HUMAN RIGHTS & ENVIRONMENT IN THE RIO+20 UN CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Rio-20_IssueBrief_Feb2012.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. HUMAN RIGHTS & ENVIRONMENT IN THE RIO+20 UN CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT. 2012. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Rio-20_IssueBrief_Feb2012.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=HUMAN RIGHTS & ENVIRONMENT IN THE RIO+20 UN CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT |date=15 February 2012 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Rio-20_IssueBrief_Feb2012.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2012human, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{HUMAN RIGHTS \& ENVIRONMENT IN THE RIO+20 UN CONFERENCE ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2012}, month = feb, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Rio-20_IssueBrief_Feb2012.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }