The United Nations Committee explicitly explains the right to a healthy environment for the first time
Against the background of the climate crisis and environmental degradation, the United Nations Committee has specified the UN Convention on the Rights of Children for the rights of the child. The committee today published guidelines for states to protect child rights on a clean, healthy and sustainable environment: the so -called General Comment No. 26. Terre Des Hommes supported its development as an official partner.
Geneva/New York, August 28, 2023 - For the first time, the United Nations Committee has expressly defined the right of each child to clean, healthy and sustainable environment for the child's rights. The committee published a comprehensive explanation of the obligations of all signatory states of the UN Convention on the Rights of Children.
This convention, adopted in 1989 and ratified by 196 countries, formulates general children's rights such as the right to life, survival and development and the right to health. A "General Comment " explains what these rights mean for a specific topic or a specific area of legislation. The now published »General Comment No. 26 On Children's Rights and the Environment with a Special Focus on Climate Change «expressly addresses the impending climate catastrophe, the extinction of species and the continuing pollution. Against this background, the document names necessary countermeasures to protect life and the life perspectives of children. Philip Jaffé, member of the Children's Rights Committee, said:
»Children around the world lead the fight against climate change. You have asked your governments and companies to take measures to protect your future - and thus the future of the entire planet. With the General Comment No. The committee for the rights of the child not only gives their votes to the rights of the child. He also clarifies her rights in relation to your environment. States should respect and protect these rights. Together and immediately! "
David Boyd, UN Special Obstacles for Human Rights and the Environment, commented: »This General Comment is a crucial step: he acknowledges that every child on Earth has the right to live in a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Governments now urgently need to take measures to breathe life into these inspiring words and combat the global environmental crisis. "
The General Comment No. 26, among other things, makes it clear: States are not only responsible for stopping current child rights violations, but also for preventing future legal violations due to their current action - or non -action. In addition, he emphasizes that states can be held responsible not only for environmental and climate damage within their limits, but also outside of their state. A special focus applies to the disproportionately greater damage that are exposed to children who are disadvantaged due to their environment or life situation.
States that have ratified the Child Rights Convention are asked to take measures for climate and environmental protection in urgently and immediately. This includes the organization of the exit from coal, oil and natural gas and the switch to renewable energy sources, the improvement of air quality, the guarantee of access to clean water, the conversion of industrial agriculture and fishing to healthy and sustainable food production as well as the protection of biodiversity.
The guidelines stipulate that the perspectives of children in environmental policy decisions must be taken into account, and they emphasize the crucial role of environmental education. Children should be reinforced to become active themselves, to stand up for their concerns and to protect themselves from environmental damage. The General Comment No. 26 (GC 26) is the result of global participation of all generations, including comprehensive consultations with the member states, international and regional organizations, among other things, of the United Nations, but in particular with children.
Joshua Hofert, member of the board of terre des hommes Germany, said: »Children are least responsible for the climate crisis, but suffer the most from their consequences: Every year, 1.7 million children under the age of five lose their lives through avoidable environmental damage. And yet children and adolescents are underrepresented in practically all environmental policy decision -making processes. With the General Comment No. 26 we tried to change exactly that: With more than 16,000 contributions from children from 121 countries, it was one of the most comprehensive participation processes of children at the UN level. As terre des hommes , we are proud to have coordinated this extraordinary process with the UN Committee for the rights of the child. "
As an official partner of the UN Children's Rights Committee terre des hommes from all over the world through online consultations significantly involved in the design and content of the text.
A separate advisory committee- consisting of 13 youthful climate and child rights activists- worked closely with the children's law committee over the entire development process. The United Nations Children's Aid Work (Unicef) was also involved as a member of the Advisory Board for the General Comment, provided technical knowledge and contributed to collecting children from all over the world.
A member of the so-called "Children's Advisory Team", the 16-year-old āniva from the Pacific Islands, commented: "For me, this General Comment stands for a worldwide change. And this change is necessary so that we can finally make progress to combat environmental problems and take measures to protect our planet worldwide - for our and for future generations. The General Comment gives children a stronger basis in international law to enforce our right to a healthy environment. And worldwide is done more for people to protect their environment through human rights. The GC26 is an important building block for this. "
In the coming months, General Comment No. 26 Now also help to define child law obligations to combat climate change as part of the Paris climate agreement. Among other things, the document stipulates that the protection of children's rights in all environmentally related laws, political decisions and projects, regulations, household or other decisions must be checked and ensured. States must report the progress to the UN Children's Rights Committee at regular intervals that they have made when protecting the environmental rights of children.
"The needs of children are still neglected in climate finance and political decisions," said Paloma Escudero, Unicef special consultant for children's rights and climate policy. “That has to change. The General Comment No. 26 is an urgent appeal of states to give all measures priority that affect the protection of childhood in the context of climate change, for example for the right of the child to education, clean water and a healthy environment. The climate crisis is a child rights crisis. Every government has the obligation to protect every child's rights in every corner of the earth, in particular the rights of boys and girls in countries that have contributed to this problem, but are exposed to the most dangerous floods, droughts, storms and heat.
Contact:
For press inquiries:
Stephan Pohlmann ( terre des hommes Germany)
+49 541 7101 135 / S.Pohlmann@ tdh.de
Tess Ingram, Unicef New York, Tingram@ unicef.org +1 934 867 7867
A child -friendly version of General Comment No. 26 will be published on September 18, 2023 as part of the official presentation, which will take place during the next meeting of the Committee in Geneva, Switzerland.
For interview requests:
Online interviews with members of the Children's Advisory Team (at the age of 11 to 17 years from 13 countries) can be agreed via Katie Reid, a consultant for environmental law and participation of children (and contact for children in General Comment No. 26) at terre des hommes : K.-Reid@ tdh.de. Personal interviews with the children can also be agreed between September 15 and 19, 2023 in Geneva, Switzerland. Terre Des Hammes and Unicef spokesman are also available.
About Terre Des Hommes
The Terre Des Hommes International Federation is a non -governmental organization that works with 730 projects in 67 countries for the rights of the children and for a fair, sustainable development. Terre Des Hommes is particularly committed to right -handed policy in all areas of life of children.
About Ceri
The Children's Environmental Rights Initiative (Ceri) is a merger under the patronage of the UN special rapporteur for human rights and the environment, David Boyd. It brings children and adolescents, activists, children's rights organizations, experts, government actors and political decision -makers from all over the world, who are working together to ensure that children's fundamental rights are recognized and fulfilled on a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
Ceri enables members of the coalition to collect the voices of children and adolescents together who are most affected by environmental damage and climate change, and at the same time to strengthen the capacities of national decision -makers in order to implement a child -friendly environmental policy and to bring in new standards and practices into multilateral processes. The work of the coalition is supported by its own secretariat.
About Unicef
Unicef works in some of the most difficult places in the world to reach the most disadvantaged children in the world. In more than 190 countries and areas, Unicef works for every child, everywhere to create a better world for everyone.