Maldives Establishes New UN Special Rapporteur

The UN Human Rights Council today adopted, by consensus and with over 80 cosponsors, a resolution creating new UN Special Procedure to clarify the human rights obligations pertaining to the enjoyment of a clean, healthy, safe and sustainable environment. The resolution was drafted, negotiated and tabled by the Maldives, Costa Rica and Switzerland. 

Ever since the 1972 UN Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment which first drew international attention to the interrelatedness of human rights and the protection of the environment, there has been widespread interest at national and regional level in the concept of environmental rights and the issue of how human rights law can strengthen environmental policy. This has included the inclusion of environmental rights in the constitutions of over 110 countries, including the Maldives, as well as in various regional human rights instruments. However, there has been no mechanism at international level to promote, guide and clarify these concepts and to further international law in the area. 

With the adoption of UN resolution HRC L.8 rev1 that has now changed. The establishment of the office of the UN Independent Expert on Human Rights and the Environment represents the most significant development in the field since 1972 and provides an historic opportunity to secure progress in the interrelated areas of human rights and environmental protection. 

The Independent Expert mandate will last for three years. The mandate-holder will be appointed at the June 2012 session of the Human Rights Council. He or she will prepare and present annual reports to the Human Rights Council, establish dialogues with States, international organisations and NGOs, and will contribute a human rights perspective in relevant environment-related conferences such as the upcoming Rio plus 20 summit in Brazil. 

Speaking after adoption of the resolution by the Council, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dunya Maumoon, said: "This is a proud achievement for the Maldives - the first time we have established a thematic UN human rights special rapporteur. We did so because of our belief that environmental degradation, including climate change, undermines universally-recognized human rights, and also that human rights law can help secure better and more effective environmental protection policies. 

We look forward to the appointment of the Independent Expert in June, and thereafter to working with him or her".