Location: Global



Aarhus Centres

In an effort to support the implementation of the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters by providing members of the public with practical resources to exercise their environmental rights under the Aarhus Convention, the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) …   Continue readingAarhus Centres

UN Economic Commission for Europe, Aarhus Clearinghouse for Environmental Democracy

The Aarhus Clearinghouse is a forum to provide information on good practices relevant to the public’s right to access environmental information, participate in environmental decision-making, and achieve justice on environmental matters, areas that are covered by the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-making and Access to Justice …   Continue readingUN Economic Commission for Europe, Aarhus Clearinghouse for Environmental Democracy

Bali Guidelines for the Development of National Legislation on Access to Information, Public Participation, and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters

The Bali Guidelines were adopted by the Governing Council of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in its decision SS.XI/5, part A of 26 February 2010. They are a set of 26 voluntary guidelines that aim to provide general guidance to States on promoting “the effective implementation of their commitments to Principle 10 of the 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and …   Continue readingBali Guidelines for the Development of National Legislation on Access to Information, Public Participation, and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters

Center for Victims of Torture’s New Tactics in Human Rights Programme

The Center for Victims of Torture (CVT) launched its New Tactics in Human Rights Programme in 1999, with the aim of helping human rights defenders work more effectively so they can achieve their goals and better address human rights violations around the world. According to CVT, the New Tactics Programme began when it “recognized how complex the systems are that allow …   Continue readingCenter for Victims of Torture’s New Tactics in Human Rights Programme

United Nations Environment Programme’s Initiatives on Human Rights

The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) has recognized, developed and raised awareness of the linkages between the environment and the enjoyment of human rights through a number of initiatives. For example, in December 2009, UNEP jointly organized with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) a high-level meeting on the topic of the future of human rights …   Continue readingUnited Nations Environment Programme’s Initiatives on Human Rights

Coca-Cola’s Commitments to Protect the Environment and Human Rights

The Coca-Cola Company, a multinational headquartered in the United States, produces multiple brands of non-alcoholic beverages, including its flagship product, Coca-Cola. In recent years, the company has undertaken many initiatives promoting environmental protection and human rights. For example, the company has adopted a human rights policy, which applies to the …   Continue readingCoca-Cola’s Commitments to Protect the Environment and Human Rights

UNICEF’s Initiatives to Protect Children’s Rights to a Healthy Environment

According to UNICEF, its “approach to environmental sustainability aims to: reduce the effects of climate change and environmental degradation on children’s rights” and “identify and enhance opportunities to advance the rights of children which arise from global and local attention on climate change and environmental degradation.” To achieve these objectives, …   Continue readingUNICEF’s Initiatives to Protect Children’s Rights to a Healthy Environment

The Proliferation of Constitutional Rights to Environment

Constitutional rights to a healthy environment are recognized in many national constitutions, with over 90 national constitutions recognizing some form of the right since the mid-1970s. About two-thirds of the constitutional rights refer to health and one-quarter refer to the right in terms of an ecologically balanced environment; alternative formulations include rights …   Continue readingThe Proliferation of Constitutional Rights to Environment

Women’s Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRDIC)

WHRDIC is a global resource and advocacy network comprised of 28 organisations working to defend women human rights defenders (WHRDs). The network includes Amnesty International, Front Line Defenders, and Human Rights First. WHRDIC provides many support services to human rights defenders, including: tools, resources and analysis to WHRDs to enable them to be effective …   Continue readingWomen’s Human Rights Defenders International Coalition (WHRDIC)

Environmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW)

ELAW is a network of 300 public interest advocates from 70 countries. The core mission of ELAW is to assist its partners, who are grassroots environmental lawyers working in their home countries protect the environment and communities through use of the law. Grassroots advocates play a key role in helping communities speak out, and ELAW gives these advocates the legal and …   Continue readingEnvironmental Law Alliance Worldwide (ELAW)

Environmental Democracy Index

The World Resources institute (WRI) is a global research organization that works at “the nexus of environment, economic opportunity and human well-being.” The Access Initiative is a global network of civil society organisations that promote access to information, participation and justice in environmental decision-making. WRI and The Access Initiative (TAI) are …   Continue readingEnvironmental Democracy Index

Protection of Environmental Human Rights Defenders

The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (OBS) is a partnership created in 1997 between the Fédération Internationale des Droits de l'Homme (FIDH) and L’Organisation Mondiale Contre la Torture (OMCT). According to the OBS web site, the objective of this programme is to intervene to prevent or remedy situations of repression against human rights …   Continue readingProtection of Environmental Human Rights Defenders

Front Line Defenders Identification Cards for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

Front Line Defenders (FLD) was founded in Dublin in 2001 with the aim of protecting human rights defenders at risk -- people who work non-violently for any or all of the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. One important programme FLD has employed since 2005 is the use of identification (ID) cards to provide human rights defenders with an …   Continue readingFront Line Defenders Identification Cards for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders

Global Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Reporting Framework

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) is an international non-profit organisation that promotes the use of sustainability reporting as a way for organisations to become more sustainable and contribute to sustainable development. According to GRI, a “sustainability report is a report published by a company or organization about the economic, environmental and social …   Continue readingGlobal Reporting Initiative’s Sustainability Reporting Framework

The Goldman Environmental Prize for Grassroots Environmentalists

For the past 25 years, the Goldman Environmental Prize has honoured grassroots environmentalists from Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South and Central America. The Prize, which awards each recipient $175,000 USD, recognizes individuals for sustained and significant efforts to protect and enhance the natural environment. The Goldman …   Continue readingThe Goldman Environmental Prize for Grassroots Environmentalists

International Union for Conservation of Nature Resolution on the Child’s Right to Nature and a Healthy Environment

The World Conservation Congress of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) adopted Resolution 101 on the Child’s Right to Connect with Nature and to a Healthy Environment in September 2012. According to the IUCN, the World Conservation Congress is the world’s largest conservation event and is held every four years with the goal of improving how …   Continue readingInternational Union for Conservation of Nature Resolution on the Child’s Right to Nature and a Healthy Environment

Domestic Implementation of World Health Organisation Standards

States have obligations to protect against environmental harm that interferes with the enjoyment of human rights. In this respect, substantive environmental quality standards help protect human health from environmental hazards. In some cases, international organizations have set substantive environmental standards to protect human health that serve as guidelines for …   Continue readingDomestic Implementation of World Health Organisation Standards

Community Protocols

Natural Justice works with local communities and indigenous groups to assist them to prepare protocols that set out their customary, national and international rights relating to their community or territories and the natural resources within them. Natural Justice explains that these protocols serve both a defensive and proactive function. Defensively, they serve to …   Continue readingCommunity Protocols

The Living Convention and Human Rights Standards for Conservation

The rights of indigenous peoples and local communities are addressed in a wide range of international instruments, each with its own particular focus. As a result, indigenous peoples and local communities are often unaware of their rights relating to issues such as development on their territories, lands and waters and the use of their natural resources and …   Continue readingThe Living Convention and Human Rights Standards for Conservation

The Access Initiative

The Access Initiative (TAI), which was established in 1999, is a global network of more than 150 civil society organisations that promote the procedural rights of access to information, public participation, and justice in environmental decision-making. Member organisations from around the world carry out evidence-based advocacy to encourage collaboration and innovation …   Continue readingThe Access Initiative