EU Explanation of Vote: UN General Assembly: Resolution on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

We want to thank the core group for this significant initiative.

The EU welcomes the adoption of this important resolution on the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment as a human right, which is important for the enjoyment of all human rights.

It is by now an established fact that climate change and biodiversity loss have substantial negative effects on the effective and full enjoyment of human rights,  disproportionally affecting women and girls in diverse situations and conditions, and those that are already in vulnerable situations including indigenous peoples, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities.

 Some form of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is already enshrined in numerous national and regional instruments. But more needs to be done to fully grasp the magnitude of these challenges and translate it into policies and actions that have human rights at the centre.  The General Assembly resolution at hand lays the ground for such action.

We also underline the important role of human rights defenders working on environmental matters, referred to as environmental human rights defenders, which we would have wished to have seen in the text.

The EU is committed to pursue its role as a global leader in these efforts. We are substantially reducing our carbon emissions and we remain the world’s largest provider of climate financing.

For the reasons outlined above, the members of the European Union voted yes today.

Thank you.