The Birdlife Partnership calls on the United Nations to amend the Universal Declaration of Human Rights for the first time in over 70 years to add a new human right: the right to a healthy natural environment.
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From the ashes of the Second World War, one of the biggest humanitarian crises in history, rose one of humankindās greatest accomplishments: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
Forged by experts from various cultures and backgrounds, and proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, this sacred document maps out, in its 30 articles, the fundamental human rights that must be protected.
These rights protect us from slavery and torture, and empower us to enjoy freedom of movement and thought. They have stood the test of time, and after 70 years, remain as relevant as ever.
But one right is missing: Article 31 – our right to a healthy, natural environment, and this is a critical gap. In the 70 years since the UDHR was formed, our society has wreaked havoc on the natural world. From the air we breathe, to the water we drink, to the earth in which we grow much of our food, our environment impacts our health in many ways.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is thought to be linked to illegal wildlife trade and the destruction of natural habitatsĀ ā human activities which dramatically increase the risk of new diseases emerging. The science is clear: human health and the environment are closely linked, and we can already see how our lack of care for the planet infringes other established universal human rights, such as the right to life, liberty and security.
InĀ our letter to the United Nations Secretary-General AntĆ³nio Guterres, BirdLife calls on the UN to:
- Include the right to a healthy natural environment ā potentially an Article 31 ā on the Agenda of the UN General Assembly and the UN Summit on Biodiversity in September 2020
- Include the right to a healthy natural environment in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Achieve this by December 2023 to mark the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration by the UN General Assembly.
The United Nations must show leadership by recognising a healthy natural environment as a human right as part of their response to the coronavirus crisis. We know adding a new human right is a sacred act. Our planet is equally sacred. There has perhaps never been a more important moment to enshrine a human right that would oblige us to respect it, for the benefit of all.
We appreciate your interest in securing this essential right for humankind. We hope that you, as an individual, as another NGO, environmental or otherwise, a company or a governmental agency, are ready to join us and mobilize the planetās citizens, across all continents, seas and oceans, to back such a vital call. We welcome the opportunity to share your institutionās support on this website.
Read our full letter to United Nations Secretary-General AntĆ³nio Guterres:
English,Ā French,Ā German,Ā Spanish,Ā Portuguese,Ā Russian,Ā Arabic
Sign our petition to make a healthy environment a universal human right
We invite organisations from around the world to join us.
BirdLife Partners supporting this campaign:
| ArgentinaĀ – Aves Argentinas
AustraliaĀ – BirdLife Australia AustriaĀ – BirdLife Austria BahamasĀ – Bahamas National Trust BelarusĀ – BirdLife Belarus BelgiumĀ – Natuurpunt BelizeĀ – Belize Audubon Society BhutanĀ – Royal Society for the Protection of Nature BoliviaĀ – Associacion Armonia BotswanaĀ – BirdLife Botswana BrazilĀ – SAVE Brazil BulgariaĀ –Ā Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds Burkina FasoĀ – NATURAMA CanadaĀ – Birds Canada CanadaĀ – Nature Canada ChileĀ –Ā ComitĆ© Nacional Pro Defensa de la Flora y Fauna China (Hong Kong)Ā – Hong Kong Birdwatching Society Chinese TaiwanĀ – Chinese Wild Bird Federation ColombiaĀ – AsociaciĆ³n Calidris Cook IslandsĀ – Te Ipukarea Society CroatiaĀ – Association BIOM CyprusĀ – BirdLife Cyprus CzechiaĀ – Czech Society for Ornithology DenmarkĀ – Sansk Ornitologisk Forening DjiboutiĀ –Ā Djibouti Nature Dominican RepublicĀ – Grupo Jaragua
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EcuadorĀ – Aves y ConservaciĆ³n
EgyptĀ – Nature Conservation Egypt El SalvadorĀ – SalvaNATURA EthiopaĀ – Ethiopian Wildlife and Natural History Society Faroe IslandsĀ – Faroese Ornithological Society FijiĀ – NatureFiji-MareqetiViti FranceĀ – Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux French PolynesiaĀ –Ā SociĆ©tĆ© d’Ornithologie de PolynĆ©sie GeorgiaĀ – Society for Nature Conservation GermanyĀ – Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union GhanaĀ – Ghana Wildlife Society GreeceĀ – Hellenic Ornitholgical Society HungaryĀ –Ā Magyar MadĆ”rtani Ć©s TermĆ©szetvĆ©delmi EgyesĆ¼let IndiaĀ – Bombay Natural History Society IndonesiaĀ – Burung Indonesia IraqĀ – Nature Iraq IrelandĀ – BirdWatch Ireland ItalyĀ – Lega Italiana Protezione Uccelli JapanĀ – World Bird Society of Japan JordanĀ – Jordan Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature KazakhstanĀ –Ā Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan KuwaitĀ – Environment Protection Society
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LatviaĀ – Latvian Ornithological Society
LebanonĀ – Society for the Protection of Nature in Lebanon LiechtensteinĀ – Botanisch-Zoologische Gesellschaft LuxembourgĀ – natur&Ć«mwelt MadagascarĀ – Asity Madagascar MalawiĀ –Ā Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi MalaysiaĀ – Malaysian Nature Society MauritiusĀ – The Mauritian Wildlife Foundation MexicoĀ – Pronatura MontenegroĀ –Ā Center for Protection and Research of birds of Montenegro Morocco– GREPOM MyanmarĀ –Ā Biodiversity and Nature Conservation Association NepalĀ – Bird Conservation Nepal NetherlandsĀ – Society for the Protection of Birds New CaledoniaĀ (to France) –Ā SociĆ©tĆ© CalĆ©donienne dāOrnithologie New ZealandĀ – Forest & Bird NigeriaĀ – Nigerian Conservation Foundation North MacedoniaĀ – Macedonian Ecological Society PalauĀ – Palau Conservation Society PanamaĀ – Panama Audubon Society ParaguayĀ – Guyra PhilippinesĀ – Haribon Foundation |
