The Jamaica Environment Trust (JET) has placed on record what it considered the Jamaican Government’s “extremely” concerning objection to the resolution by the Human Rights Council recognising the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

In a statement, JET noted that the long-awaited resolution was expected to be voted on in New York at the General Assembly this Thursday (July 28).

At least three Caribbean States are already signed up as cosponsors – Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, and The Dominican Republic.

In October 2021, after many years of advocacy by civil society organisations, the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) adopted a landmark resolution recognising the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Following this HRC decision, Costa Rica, Morocco, Maldives, Switzerland and Slovenia presented a draft resolution recognising the right to a healthy environment before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in June 2022.

“The reason for repeating the process at the General Assembly is that every UN member state has a vote, whereas at the Human Rights Council voting rights reside in the 47 states elected to serve on that body,” JET said.

RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT

The right to a healthy environment recognises and applies existing human rights obligations in an environmental context. Substantively, the right to a healthy environment includes:

• clean air;
• a safe climate;
• access to safe water and adequate sanitation;
• healthy and sustainably produced food;
• non-toxic environments in which to live, work, study and play; and
• healthy biodiversity and ecosystems.

The right to a healthy environment also encapsulates access to information, public participation, and access to justice, and effective remedies.

Said Dr Theresa Rodriguez-Moodie, chief executive officer of JET: “The right to a healthy environment has been in Jamaica’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms since 2011, so it is not clear why the GOJ would now be objecting to this resolution. We are trying to get further clarity on this matter but we sincerely hope that the GOJ will change their vote.”