December 15, 2023
New York — Today the Global Coalition of Civil Society, Indigenous Peoples, Social Movements, and Local Communities for the Universal Recognition of the Right to a Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment accepted the prestigious 2023 United Nations Human Rights Prize. This month also marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
The coalition is recognized for its vital role in advocating for the universal recognition of the right to a healthy environment by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in 2022. The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) is an active member of the coalition.
“We are honored to receive this prestigious award, which acknowledges the profound global impact achieved when diverse civil society groups and Indigenous Peoples unite for a common aim. Driven by the urgency of the triple planetary crisis and the imperative to uphold the right to a healthy environment, our coalition stands as a testament to the power of collective action. Together, we will confront the challenges that lie ahead, knowing that only through unity can we effectively address this pressing crisis,” said Marya Farah, Franciscans International’s Representative to the United Nations. Franciscans International is a member of the coalition.
The UN Human Rights Prize is awarded once every five years to several recipients at a time. This year is the first time since its inception in 1966 that it has been granted to a global coalition.
“This award is a dual recognition. First and foremost, it highlights the essential role of civil society and Indigenous Peoples’ organizations in placing people and planet at the forefront of policymaking. This message holds particular significance for and will resonate with all environmental human rights defenders and those striving to safeguard civic space,” said CIEL Senior Attorney, Sébastien Duyck.
The prize was presented at a ceremony in New York today with UN leadership, including General Assembly President Dennis Francis, Secretary-General António Guterres, and High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk. The award was accepted by a delegation of representatives illustrating the diversity of the coalition’s members.
“Furthermore, this award underscores the paramount importance of the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment at a time when millions of people are currently experiencing the cumulative impacts of climate change, pollution, and the destruction of ecosystems. This recognition highlights the need for urgent action by all UN Member States to ensure the effective protection of this right,” said Duyck.
The ceremony took place alongside a workshop with advocates from around the world and UN and State representatives to assess progress since the recognition of the right to a healthy environment and to discuss next steps to build on that progress and ensure the effective promotion of the right.
“For those in Europe, this is also a message of hope, as we are still waiting for European States to guarantee the effective recognition and protection of the right to a healthy environment under the European Convention of Human Rights,” said Duyck.
The coalition was nominated by UN agencies and chosen by the selection committee as one of the 2023 recipients. Previous award winners include Malala Yousafzai (Pakistan), Sister Dorothy Stang (Brazil), Sergio Vieira de Mello (Brazil), Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King (USA), and Nelson Mandela (South Africa).
“Today, we celebrate this prize alongside thousands of advocates. Tomorrow, we will raise our voices—louder than ever—to demand concrete action from States to ensure that the right to a healthy environment can be effectively enjoyed by all,” Duyck concluded.
Read the reactions from the Global Coalition of Civil Society, Indigenous Peoples, Social Movements, and Local Communities for the Universal Recognition of the Right to a Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment here.
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Media contact:
Lani Furbank, Communications Campaign Specialist: press@ciel.org
Photos available here.