FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 28th, 2022
New York (US) — Following today’s historic vote at the United Nations General Assembly to recognize the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, the Center for International Environmental Law issued the following statement:
“Today’s landmark vote affirms that everyone, no matter where, has the right to live in a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. The decision comes at a time of planetary crises — the climate emergency, the collapse of ecosystems, and toxic threats are pushing against planetary boundaries, with widespread impacts on the full scope of human rights. This recognition provides one more tool for communities as they defend their rights and the environment, and opens new opportunities to strengthen accountability in the years ahead. It should serve as a catalyst to mobilize all UN agencies to prioritize the protection of the clean, healthy, and sustainable environment across all their activities.
“We celebrate the highest UN body in recognizing that the air we breathe, the water we drink, our health, well-being, and survival inherently depend on a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. This historic victory for humanity is more than fifty years in the making. We thank civil society and Indigenous Peoples organizations for their advocacy and perseverance and countries including Costa Rica, the Maldives, Morocco, Slovenia, and Switzerland for their leadership in making this victory possible.
“Institutions, governments, and businesses must now mobilize resources and take concrete steps to make this right a reality, beginning with protecting environmental defenders and climate-vulnerable communities. Today, we celebrate this long-sought victory for people and the planet. Tomorrow, we will advocate for the protection and fulfillment of this critical human right, and for its recognition at the national level in every country of the world and through regional human rights frameworks.”
Press contact:
Cate Bonacini: press@ciel.org, +1-202-742-5847