A/RES/76/300

United Nations

General AssemblyDistr.: General
1 August 2022

Seventy-sixth session
Agenda item 74 (b)Promotion and protection of human rights: humanrights questions, including alternative approaches for
improving the effective enjoyment of human rights andfundamental freedoms

Resolution adopted by the General Assemblyon 28 July 2022[without reference to a Main Committee (A/76/L.75 and A/76/L.75/Add.1)]

76/300.

The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment
The General Assembly,
Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,Reaffirming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1 and the Vienna
Declaration and Programme of Action, 2 recalling the Declaration on the Right toDevelopment, 3 the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the HumanEnvironment (Stockholm Declaration), 4 the Rio Declaration on Environment andDevelopment, 5 and relevant international human rights treaties, and noting otherrelevant regional human rights instruments,
Reaffirming also that all human rights are universal, indivisible, interdependentand interrelated,
Reaffirming further its resolution 70/1 of 25 September 2015, entitled“Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”, in which
it adopted a comprehensive, far-reaching and people-centred set of universal andtransformative Sustainable Development Goals and targets, its c ommitment toworking tirelessly for the full implementation of the Agenda by 2030 ensuring that__________________

Resolution 217 A (III).
A/CONF.157/24 (Part I), chap. III.
3
Resolution 41/128, annex.
4
Report of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm, 5–16 June1972 (A/CONF.48/14/Rev.1), part one, chap. I.
5
Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, Rio de Janeiro,
3 −14 June 1992, vol. I, Resolutions Adopted by the Conference (United Nations publication,Sales No. E.93.I.8 and corrigendum), resolution 1, annex I.
1
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The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment

no one is left behind, its recognition that eradicating poverty in all its forms anddimensions, including extreme poverty, is the greatest global challenge and anindispensable requirement for sustainable development, and its commitment toachieving sustainable development in its three dimensions – economic, social andenvironmental – in a balanced and integrated manner,
Recalling States’ obligations and commitments under multilateral environmental
instruments and agreements, including on climate change, and the outcome of theUnited Nations Conference on Sustainable Development, held in Rio de Janeiro,
Brazil, in June 2012, and its outcome document entitled “The future we want”, 6 which
reaffirmed the principles of the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development,
Recalling also Human Rights Council resolution 48/13 of 8 October 2021,
entitled “The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment”, 7Recalling further all Human Rights Council resolutions on human rights and theenvironment, including resolutions 44/7 of 16 July 2020, 8 45/17 of 6 October 2020, 945/30 of 7 October 2020 10 and 46/7 of 23 March 2021, 11 and relevant resolutions ofthe General Assembly,
Recognizing that sustainable development, in its three dimensions (social,economic and environmental), and the protection of the environment, including
ecosystems, contribute to and promote human well-being and the full enjoyment of
all human rights, for present and future generations,
Recognizing also that, conversely, the impact of climate change, theunsustainable management and use of natural resources, the pollution of air, land andwater, the unsound management of chemicals and waste, the resulting loss of
biodiversity and the decline in services provided by ecosystems interfere with theenjoyment of a clean, healthy and sustainable environment and that environmental
damage has negative implications, both direct and indirect, for the effective
enjoyment of all human rights,
Reaffirming that international cooperation has an essential role in assistingdeveloping countries, including highly indebted poor countries, least developedcountries, landlocked developing countries, small island developing States, as well as
the specific challenges faced by middle-income countries, in strengthening their
human, institutional and technological capacity,
Recognizing that, while the human rights implications of environmental da mageare felt by individuals and communities around the world, the consequences are felt
most acutely by women and girls and those segments of the population that are alreadyin vulnerable situations, including indigenous peoples, children, older persons a ndpersons with disabilities,
Recognizing also the importance of gender equality, gender-responsive action
to address climate change and environmental degradation, the empowerment,
leadership, decision-making and full, equal and meaningful participation of womenand girls, and the role that women play as managers, leaders and defenders of naturalresources and agents of change in safeguarding the environment,Recognizing further that environmental degradation, climate change,
biodiversity loss, desertification and unsustainable development constitute some of__________________

Resolution 66/288, annex.
Official Records of the General Assembly, Seventy-sixth Session, Supplement No. 53A(A/76/53/Add.1), chap. II.
8Ibid., Seventy-fifth Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/75/53), chap. V, sect. A.
9Ibid., Supplement No. 53A (A/75/53/Add.1), chap. III.
10Ibid.
11Ibid., Seventy-sixth Session, Supplement No. 53 (A/76/53), chap. V, sect. A.
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A/RES/76/300

the most pressing and serious threats to the ability of present and future generations
to effectively enjoy all human rights,
Recognizing that the exercise of human rights, including the rights to see k,receive and impart information, to participate effectively in the conduct ofgovernment and public affairs and to an effective remedy, is vital to the protection ofa clean, healthy and sustainable environment,
Reaffirming that States have the obligation to respect, protect and promote
human rights, including in all actions undertaken to address environmental
challenges, and to take measures to protect the human rights of all, as recognized indifferent international instruments, and that additional me asures should be taken for
those who are particularly vulnerable to environmental degradation, noting theframework principles on human rights and the environment, 12
Recalling the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, 13 which
underscore the responsibility of all business enterprises to respect human rights,
Affirming the importance of a clean, healthy and sustainable environment forthe enjoyment of all human rights,
Taking note of all the reports of the Special Rapporteur (formerly theIndependent Expert) on the issue of human rights obligations relating to theenjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment, 14
Noting “The highest aspiration: a call to action for human rights”, which theSecretary-General presented to the Human Rights Council on 24 February 2020,
Noting also that a vast majority of States have recognized some form of the rightto a clean, healthy and sustainable environment through internation al agreements,
their national constitutions, legislation, laws or policies,
1.
Recognizes the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as ahuman right;
2.
Notes that the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment isrelated to other rights and existing international law;3.
Affirms that the promotion of the human right to a clean, healthy andsustainable environment requires the full implementation of the multilateralenvironmental agreements under the principles of internation al environmental law;4.
Calls upon States, international organizations, business enterprises andother relevant stakeholders to adopt policies, to enhance international cooperation,
strengthen capacity-building and continue to share good practices in order to scale up
efforts to ensure a clean, healthy and sustainable environment for all.
97th plenary meeting
28 July 2022__________________

A/HRC/37/59, annex.
A/HRC/17/31, annex.
14
A/73/188, A/74/161, A/75/161, A/76/179, A/HRC/22/43, A/HRC/25/53, A/HRC/28/61,A/HRC/31/52, A/HRC/31/53, A/HRC/34/49, A/HRC/37/58, A/HRC/37/59, A/HRC/40/55,A/HRC/43/53, A/HRC/43/54, A/HRC/46/28 and A/HRC/49/53.
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