This is the first time this institution has established the right of children to live in a clean, healthy and sustainable environment with General Comment 26, according to a press release published here.
The provision provides a comprehensive interpretation of States’ obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which has been ratified by 196 countries.
With this regulation, the Committee on the Rights of the Child not only confirms and strengthens its voice, but also clearly defines its guarantees in relation to the environment, which States parties must collectively and urgently respect, protect and comply with, which in this regard is recognized Philip Jaffé, Member of the Committee.
The new generations, even the youngest, are on the front lines in the fight against climate change and are urging governments and businesses to take action to protect their lives and futures, the text, cited by the UN, added.
The 1989 treaty sets out children’s rights, including to life, health, clean water, and survival and development.
The new observation explicitly addresses the climate emergency, biodiversity collapse and widespread pollution, while recognizing governments’ responsibility to protect children from immediate harm and from foreseeable violations of their rights in the future as a result of action or current inaction .
The provision ensures that states can be held accountable for environmental damage that occurs both inside and outside their borders.
In this scenario, countries that have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child are called upon to take immediate action.
Among other things, it calls for the gradual abandonment of fossil fuels and the switch to renewable energy sources, the improvement of air quality, ensuring access to drinking water and the protection of biodiversity.
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