Dear Ministers,
Colleagues and friends.

Human rights, including the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, offer a roadmap to averting, minimizing and remedying the worst impacts of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution.

I commend the core group - Costa Rica, Maldives, Morocco, Slovenia and Switzerland for its work leading to the recognition of this right, both here at the Council and at the General Assembly.

As our planet heats, and its ecosystems fall apart, there is no denying humanity’s collective failure. The triple planetary crisis is a manifestation of greed over solidarity; inequality over equity; short-term gain over long-term loss.

Multilateral actions in 2022 have shown how international human rights law is a vital tool to attempt reverting this situation.

The recognition of the right to a healthy environment by the Council was an important step in this direction – one which was called for and welcomed by rights-holders across the globe. The Human Rights Council reminded States of their obligations to respect, protect and fulfil human rights.

Now, we must work together to make this recognition a catalyst for transformative change through a re-imagination of humanity’s relationship with nature and of the power structures that have  led  to this environmental crisis.

Life as we know it on our planet, is changing rapidly, in some cases irreversibly.

All people everywhere, particularly those who may already be in vulnerable situations, such as women, children, older persons, migrants, persons with disabilities, minorities, Indigenous Peoples, peasants, and local communities, need better protection from the triple planetary crisis.

This starts with respecting, protecting and fulfilling the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

OHCHR is working to advance this right.

• We assist governments and other stakeholders to promote and protect these rights.
• We conduct advocacy and engagement related to the negotiation and implementation of multilateral environmental agreements.
• We support and shed light on the critical work of environmental human rights defenders.
• We work with indigenous peoples: to safeguard their rights, which contributes to conserving nature and its biodiversity.
• To elevate the voices of those most affected in order that they can claim their rights is at the core of our work.
• And we are proud to have contributed to the campaign to achieve universal recognition of the right to a healthy environment and have now turned our attention to the challenge of universal implementation.

This requires integration of human rights, including the right to a healthy environment, but not just in multilateral environmental agreements as was recently achieved at [UNFCCC] COP27 and CBD COP15 but mainstreamed in laws, policies, and actions at all levels, with action by all actors, including States and businesses to reduce greenhouse gas emission, biodiversity loss and pollution.

I therefore urge you – excellencies, ministers, delegates – to help us implement international commitments to rights-based environmental action. Help us reimagine and build a more sustainable future, with integrated human rights in environmental decision-making and the upholding of human rights, including the rights to access information, to participation and to access to justice in environmental matters.

Human Rights are an effective tool to protect our environment – promoting a human rights economy that directs resources to sustainable development, people and the planet. Education with respect for nature can trigger real change. Together, we can make the right to a healthy environment a reality if we all act together now.

Thank you.