Universal Rights Group

On 28 July 2022, the UN General Assembly passed resolution A/76/L.75 affirming the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment❗The historic decision was voted in with 161 votes in favour, 0 against, and 8 abstentions 🍃

The vote followed a long fought battle by Civil Society Organisations, NGOs, and environmental activists for the international community. It came less than a year after the Human Rights Council also recognised at in Resolution 48/13 🌏⚖️

While not legally binding upon States, the resolution will help to catalyse urgent action towards environmental justice and ensure States are aware of their obligations to respect, protect and fulfil these rights.

It is hoped that the passing of the resolution, and recognition of the right, will:

🔹Promote stronger environmental safeguards through ambitious legislation and policy change worldwide
🔹Facilitate the creation of protections and support networks for EHRDs, climate activists, and indigenous rights defenders who are particularly at risk for violence
🔹Generate pathways to further include an environmental perspective in other areas of international concern, including in regards to the right to development and the peace and security agenda

📚To learn more about the potential impact of the resolution, read our reports here ⤵️

The right to a healthy and sustainable environment | Universal Rights Group The right to a clean and healthy environment was left out of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (and therefore the two Covenants) because it was drafted before the advent of the modern environmental movement in the 1960s and 70s. However, over recent years, there has been a growing interest a...

Environmental and land defenders suffer violent and deadly attacks daily. Yet, countries continue to fail to report this violence.

Join the International Land Coalition, World Resources Institute's Center for Equitable Development and the Business and Human Rights Resource Centre at to talk about why this gap persists.

🗓️ Today, July 6
🕐 13:30 CET
✏️ Register: https://bit.ly/3yFI6KD

📢 Yesterday and today, along with the Governments of Switzerland 🇨🇭 and Liechtenstein 🇱🇮, we are hosting the 8️⃣th Glion Human Rights Dialogue!

For two days, more than 6️⃣5️⃣ human rights practitioners and thinkers will discuss what does the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment mean for States, for rights-holders and for nature.

Key stakeholders were divided into 3️⃣ groups for more in-depth interactive discussion. In particular, they focussed on:

Group 1️⃣ - What is ?
🌲What are its scope and content?
🌏What is its international legal meaning?
💧Which parts of the right are included in existing and legally binding guarantees?

Group 2️⃣ - What has the right meant where it is already recognised at national and regional levels?
🌲What has it meant for domestic laws & ?
🌏What has it meant for climate jurisprudence?
💧What has it meant for the protection & empowerment of ?

Group 3️⃣ - What are the implications of UN recognition of the right?
🌲🌏💧What are the implications for member States at the national level, , , Country Teams, and international and regional instruments & mechanisms?

🚨Stay tuned! A Report on the 8️⃣th Dialogue will be available soon here 👇

The Glion Human Rights Dialogue The Glion Human Rights Dialogue is an annual high-level retreat, hosted by the Governments of Norway and Switzerland.

🕊️ Today is the International Day of Living Together in ! 🕊️

🕊️ The United Nations General Assembly, through resolution 72/130, declared 16 May the International Day of Living Together in Peace as a way of regularly mobilising the efforts of the international community to promote peace, , , understanding, and .

🕊️ This day represents a key opportunity to reflect on the importance of living and acting together, united in differences and diversity, to build a sustainable world of peace, solidarity, and harmony.

🕊️ As stated by the President of the Human Rights Council, , are central to the multilateral system, including peace and and to rebuilding social/institutional in situations.

🕊️Learn more about the President's insights and the centrality of to the multilateral system, by reading our blog ⤵️

Council President speaks of centrality of human rights to the multilateral system, including to peace and security, and sustainable development | Universal Rights Group On April 21, 2022, Ambassador Federico Villegas of Argentina, the President of the Human Rights Council, gave a lecture at the New School in downtown New York, on the place of human rights in the UN system. Although he touched on a variety of themes, a key point was that human rights is integral to....

🔎 Today, nearly 476 million Peoples live in 90 countries across the world, accounting for 6.2% of the world population. Many of these communities live across national . Current border practices often hamper Indigenous Peoples’ full enjoyment of land rights when access to land is essential to guarantee their livelihoods, food security and cultural survival.

👉 Our latest blog looks at the existing international legal frameworks recognising these cross-border rights and the avenues that indigenous communities can take to achieve the full realisation of their territorial and cross-border rights.

Full blog available here ⤵️

International borders: Dividing lines for Indigenous Peoples’ rights | Universal Rights Group Today, nearly 476 million Indigenous Peoples live in 90 countries across the world, accounting for 5,000 different cultures and 6.2 percent of the world population. Many of these communities live across national borders, such as the Amazighs in North Africa, the Mapuche at the Chile-Argentina border...