Human rights and the environment

The NBSAP Forum, along with the Forum for Law, Environment, Development and Governance (FLEDGE), the UN Environment Law Division, UNDP and Swedbio at the Stockholm Resilience Centre, co-hosted a three-part webinar series on human rights, environment and biodiversity. Environmental laws related to protection and governance incorporate various tenets of human rights. Principle 1 of the Stockholm Declaration, which was adopted at the U.N. Conference on Human Environment in 1972, recognizes the right to freedom, equality and adequate conditions of life, and underscores the importance of the environment in achieving a life of dignity and wellbeing. Additionally, Principle 1 of the Rio Convention, adopted in 1992, draws our attention to the importance of linkages between human rights and the environment when it states that human beings are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.

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Learning for Nature

Languages: English

Date Conducted: 29 March – 19 April 2018

Video Length: 2h/session

Course Type: Webinar Series

Introduction to the Humans Rights and Environment

The webinar gives an overview of historic developments in the area of human rights and the environment. The speakers provide a synopsis of Special UN Rapporteur John Knox’s report on right to a safe environment, which includes biodiversity. The presenters then discuss key sectoral elements, such as human rights and ecosystem services, and elaborate on the obligations of the State and stakeholders for safe and healthy environment and biodiversity. Linkages to Sustainable Development Goal 16 are explored.

Human Rights, Business and Biodiversity

This webinar focuses on links between human rights and business. It explores UN Global Compact initiatives that address the issue of human rights. Using examples from the extractives industry, the speakers discuss the impacts of business on both the conservation and development agenda from a human rights perspective.

HHRR in CBD’s post-2020 Strategic Plan

This webinar focuses on human rights in the context of the biodiversity agenda using principles and approaches elaborated in the UN Commission on Human Rights report. The speakers explored links to the Secretariat’s ecosystem approach and access to genetic resources and benefit sharing programs of work and share information on ongoing discussions to develop the CBD’s post-2020 Strategic Plan.