July 20, 2023
Geneva (CH) — The Global Coalition of Civil Society, Indigenous Peoples, Social Movements, and Local Communities for the Universal Recognition of the Human Right to a Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment has been awarded the prestigious 2023 United Nations Human Rights Prize.
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.
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. The prize will be presented in New York on December 10, which also marks the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
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).
“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,” Marya Farah, Franciscans International’s Representative to the United Nations, said. Franciscans International is a member of the 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.
Furthermore, it 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 CIEL Senior Attorney, Sébastien Duyck.
“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.
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.
July 28, 2023 marks the one-year anniversary of the UNGA’s historic recognition that all humans have the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.
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: Niccolò Sarno, Media Relations Specialist: press@ciel.org + 41 22 506 80 37