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Annual thematic reports

Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment

The Special Rapporteur submits a report to the UN Human Rights Council as well as to the UN General Assembly on an annual basis, as mandated by the UN Human Rights Council resolution 37/8.

Year Document number Title Statement Press releases
2023

A/78/168

Annex 1 - Twelve Largest Known ISDS Awards

Annex 2 - Examples of ISDS Claims Launched in Response to Climate Actions

Annex 3 - Brief summary of ISDS reform efforts

Paying polluters: the catastrophic consequences of investor-State dispute settlement for climate and environment action and human rights    
2023

A/HRC/52/33

Annex 1 - Good practices

Women, girls and the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment

   
2023 A/HRC/52/44 Summary of Expert Seminar on the role of human rights and environmental conservation in the prevention of future pandemics    
2022

A/77/284

Annex 1 – additional information

Annex 2- best practices

User friendly version

The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment: a catalyst for accelerated action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals Trillions needed to close finance gap on Sustainable Development Goals, says UN expert  
2022

A/HRC/49/53

Annex 1 - Additional sacrifice zones

Annex 2 - Good Practices

User friendly version 

Non toxic environment to live, work, study and play 49th session of the HRC  
2021

A/76/179
Annex - Good Practices

User friendly version

Healthy and sustainable food: reducing the environmental impacts of food systems on human rights 76th session of the General Assembly  
2021

A/HRC/46/28
Annex - Good Practices

User friendly version

Human rights and the global water crisis: water pollution, water scarcity and water-related disasters 46th session of the HRC N/A
2020

A/75/161
Annex - Good Practices

User friendly version

A healthy biosphere and the right to a healthy environment 75th session of the General Assembly N/A
2020 A/HRC/43/53
(Annex III - Additional Good Practices)

Recognition of the Right to a Healthy Environment in Constitutions, Legislation and Treaties
Annex IV – Africa
Annex V – Asia-Pacific
Annex VI – Eastern Europe
Annex VII – Latin America and the Caribbean
Annex VIII – Western Europe and Others

Good practices on the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment (call for inputs) 43rd session of the HRC (Video of the interactive dialogue) N/A
2020 A/HRC/43/54 
(Advance Edited Version)
Summary of report of meeting on the right to a healthy environment    
2019

A/74/161
(User-friendly version) (Annex – good practices)

User friendly version

Safe climate 74th session of the General Assembly (Video of the interactive dialogue) N/A
2019

A/HRC/40/55

User friendly version

Clean air and the right to a healthy and sustainable environment 40th session of the HRC (Video of the interactive dialogue)

Air pollution: The silent killer that claims 7 million lives each year

Clean air is a human right (video)

2018 A/73/188 Global recognition of the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment 73rd session of the GA (Video of the interactive dialogue) Environmental hazards kill 8 million a year: UN expert urges global recognition of the human right to a healthy environment
2018 A/HRC/37/58 Children’s rights and the environment (Child-friendly version
Arabic | Chinese | English | French | Russian | Spanish)
37th session of the HRC (Video of the interactive dialogue) UN expert calls for global recognition of the right to safe and healthy environment
2018 A/HRC/37/59 Framework Principles (user-friendly version)    
2017 A/HRC/34/49 Biodiversity 34th session of the HRC (Video of the interactive dialogue) States must fulfil human rights obligations in protecting biodiversity, UN expert urges
2016 A/HRC/31/52 Climate change

31st Session of the HRC (Video of the interactive dialogue)

 
2016 A/HRC/31/53 Implementation report    
2015 A/HRC/28/61 Good practices report 28th Session of the HRC (Video of the interactive dialogue)  
2014 A/HRC/25/53 Mapping report 25th session of the Human Rights Council (Video of the interactive dialogue) UN expert urges States to take into account human rights obligations in their environmental policies
(Arabic | Chinese | | English)
2013 A/HRC/22/43 Preliminary report 22nd session of the Human Rights Council (Video of the interactive dialogue) Environment and human rights: the link is there, and so is the States’ obligation to protect them – UN expert (Chinese | English)