The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment

HRC/RES/48/13
UN Human Rights Council
Long title The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment
Citation	A/HRC/RES/48/13
Enacted by	UN Human Rights Council
Enacted	8 October 2021

The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a resolution by the United Nations General Assembly and before that the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC, as HRC/RES/48/13), that recognizes a healthy environment as a human right.[1][2] It was adopted at the 48th session of the HRC, marking the first time that the HRC recognized a human right in a resolution.[3][4] The draft resolution was put forward by the core group comprising Costa Rica (Penholder: Mariana Castro), Morocco, Slovenia, Switzerland and the Maldives.[5] The vote passed with 43 votes in favor, 0 votes against, and 4 abstentions (China, India, Japan and the Russian Federation).[1]

Human Rights Council

The HRC resolution in itself is not legally binding, but it "invites the United Nations General Assembly to consider the matter" (i.e. the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment).[1]

Vote of the Human Rights Council on the related HRC/48/L.27

UN General Assembly

In 2022 during its 76th session, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.[6] Although General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, this resolution was welcomed by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet,[7] multiple special rapporteurs[8] and members of some civil society organizations.[9][10]

See also

• Right to a healthy environment
• Human rights and climate change

References

1. "A/HRC/RES/48/13 - E - A/HRC/RES/48/13 -Desktop". undocs.org. Archived from the original on 2022-01-23. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
2. "Annual Report 2021: Global upheaval deepened inequalities". OHCHR. 2022-06-14. Archived from the original on 2022-06-17. Retrieved 2022-06-17.
3. Coplan, Karl S. (2021). Climate Change Law: An Introduction. Cheltenham, United Kingdom : Edward Elgar Publishing. p. 162. ISBN 978-1839101298.
4. "UNHRC Resolution recognising a Human Right to a Healthy Environment – GNHRE". Archived from the original on 2022-01-23. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
5. "Access to a healthy environment, declared a human right by UN rights council". UN News. 2021-10-08. Archived from the original on 2021-10-09. Retrieved 2022-01-23.
6. "General Assembly of the United Nations". www.un.org. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
7. "Bachelet calls for urgent action to realize human right to healthy environment following recognition by UN General Assembly". OHCHR. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
8. "UN General Assembly declares access to clean and healthy environment a universal human right". UN News. 2022-07-28. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
9. "Franciscans International: News". franciscansinternational.org. Retrieved 2022-08-05.
10. "VICTORY: UNGA Recognizes Right to a Healthy Environment For All". Center for International Environmental Law. Retrieved 2022-08-05.