UNGA Resolution: Healthy Environment declared as “Human Right”

July 29, 2022

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) recently passed a resolution that recognises the Healthy Environment as Human Right. India has voted in favour of this resolution. As per the resolution, right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment has become human right.

Highlights:

UN General Assembly passed the resolution on July 28, 2022.
Out of 193-members, 161 members voted in favour.
Belarus, China, Cambodia, Russia, Syria, Ethiopia, Iran and Kyrgyzstan were absent to vote.
India has voted in favour. However, it is concerned regarding the procedure and substance of the resolution.

The historic UN Resolution;

Recognises the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right.
It ensures that; promotion of human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment needs full implementation of multilateral environmental agreements in accordance with the principles of international environmental law.

What are India’s concerns?

India is though ready to support any effort made towards better environment and to strengthen international cooperation for environmental protection. For this, country has voted in favour. But India has dissociated itself from operative paragraph 1 of the resolution, which reads that, “UN general assembly Recognises the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right’. India is of the view that, this statement shall be included in official records. Furthermore, the resolution does not clearly define the terms clean’, healthy’ and sustainable’.

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