United Nations Environment Programme
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Online event
UNEP survey and consultation on the right to a healthy environment of children, youth and future generations
27 April 2022
- Overview
- Documents
- Background information
- Survey
- Contact information
Children and youth are disproportionally affected by the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature loss and pollution, especially those from vulnerable groups. At the same time, young people all over the globe have been playing an important role in defending the environment and offering solutions for pressing environmental problems. This includes campaigns, global climate strikes, and even taking their governments to court.
In June 2021, the Heads of United Nations Entities, including UNEP, released a joint commitment promoting the right to a healthy environment of children, youth, and future generations. The joint commitment strongly supports the leadership and empowerment of children and youth in environmental action and fulfilling their human rights concerning the environment. Read the joint commitment here.
To inform the implementation of the joint commitment, UNEP has launched an online survey as part of a consultative process that will inform and support the organization in identifying gaps and establishing plans for implementing the joint commitment and further integrating the right to a healthy environment of children, youth, and future generations in its work.
In October 2021, the Human Rights Council, through its Resolution 48/13, recognized the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment and acknowledged that "environmental degradation, climate change and unsustainable development constitute some of the most pressing and serious threats to the ability of present and future generations to enjoy human rights." UNEP is committed to promoting, protecting, and respecting the environmental rights of children, youth, and future generations, including by ensuring their meaningful, effective and informed participation in environmental processes:
- In June 2021, the heads of several United Nations Entities released a joint commitment to the right to a healthy environment of children, youth, and future generations (read the joint commitment here). It expresses strong support for the leadership and empowerment of young people in environmental action and fulfilling their human rights in relation to the environment and climate. The joint commitment complements the 2020 Secretary-General Call to Action for Human Rights' thematic area "rights of future generations, especially climate justice," as well as the 2021 Secretary-General Common Agenda's proposed actions on the right to a healthy environment and future generations.
- UNEP has also been supporting the United Nations Committee of the Rights of the Child (CRC) through the Expert Advisory Board that oversights and provides guidance to the development of the draft general comment on children's rights and the environment with a special focus on climate change (General Comment No. 26).
UNEP has launched on a survey to inform and support the organization in identifying gaps and establishing plans for implementing the joint commitment and further integrating the environmental rights of children, youth, and future generations into its work. All individuals and organizations are invited to share their views through the online survey before 15 July 2022.
- UNEP survey on the right to a healthy environment of children, youth and future generations: https://bit.ly/consultationR2HE
- Child-friendly version of the survey: https://bit.ly/R2HEcyf
This survey is anonymous, and the results will not be attributed to any individual or organization. Your response will inform UNEP in further integrating the right to a healthy environment of children, youth and future generations into its relevant areas of work.
For more information, please contact Marina Venâncio (marina.venancio@un.org)
