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Maldives calls on international community to move forward in recognition of Right to Environment

Foreign Secretary of the Maldives Abdul Ghafoor Mohamed has called on the International Community to move forward in the recognition of the Right to Environment.

Foreign Secretary made the remarks representing the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abdulla Shahid in a high-level panel discussion organised by the Universal Rights Group at the sidelines of the ongoing 46th Session of the Human Rights Council.

Speaking on behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs at the event, Foreign Secretary Ghafoor noted the prolonged discussions focusing on the relationship between human rights and the environment in the international arena. He highlighted the Maldives’ central role in bringing the issue of climate change and human rights to the forefront of international debates and the resulting appointment of the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Environment in 2012. He also stated that human rights cannot be fully realised in the absence of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

The high-level Panel on the Case for the Universal Recognition of the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment was held to stimulate discussions on identifying the possible outcomes of recognising the Right to Environment. It also featured the presentation of a report on the subject of discussion by the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment David Boyd, his predecessor John Knox and the Executive Director of Universal Rights Group Marc Limon.