Human Rights-Based Approach and Biodiversity
Date: 15 January 2026
Report A/HRC/61/36, presented by the Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, examines progress in implementing the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment following its recognition by the Human Rights Council and General Assembly. The report stresses that environmental harm is not abstract and that it directly affects the enjoyment of fundamental rights.
It highlights that environmental degradation, pollution, biodiversity loss and climate change disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, undermining health, livelihoods and dignity. The report calls for “rights-based, integrated approaches” and emphasises the need for “effective access to information, public participation and access to justice” in environmental matters.
Crucially, the report reinforces that environmental protection is inseparable from other human rights, including the human rights to water and sanitation. Unsafe water, ecosystem degradation and climate-related water stress are clear examples where environmental harm translates into violations of HRWS. Protecting watersheds, preventing contamination and regulating pollution are therefore not only environmental obligations but human rights duties.
By positioning the right to a healthy environment as foundational to water security, the report strengthens the legal and normative basis for integrated implementation of environmental protection and HRWS, particularly for climate-vulnerable and marginalised communities.
Strengthening Regional Human Rights Systems
Date: 9 January 2026
Report A/HRC/61/35 summarises the Human Rights Council’s workshop on the role of regional human rights organizations in reinforcing global protection frameworks. It recognises regional mechanisms as “critical partners in the promotion and protection of human rights”, particularly because of their proximity to communities and their ability to contextualise international standards.
This is highly relevant to the human rights to water and sanitation (HRWS) and the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, both of which require effective monitoring, accountability and access to justice at regional and national levels. Water quality, ecosystem degradation, pollution and climate-related water stress sit at the intersection of these rights.
Regional bodies are uniquely positioned to translate UN resolutions into enforceable standards, develop jurisprudence linking environmental harm to violations of HRWS, and address disproportionate impacts on marginalised and climate-vulnerable communities.
The workshop highlighted resource constraints and coordination gaps, calling for “enhanced support and collaboration”. Strengthening regional systems is therefore essential to advancing integrated implementation of HRWS and the right to a healthy environment in practice.
