Draft International Covenant on Environmental Rights

The CIDCE, under the leadership of Professor Michel Prieur, has finalized a revised version of the Draft International Covenant on Environmental Rights.

This ambitious and innovative covenant addresses a legal gap long highlighted by the Green Rights Coalition: the lack of a legally binding global instrument in international environmental law.

​

The Importance of Draft International Covenant on Environmental Rights

This courageous initiative aims to modernize the human rights framework by explicitly incorporating environmental dimensions. It aims to complement and update the two existing International Covenants and derives, like its predecessors, from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. 

​

Part I outlines rights and duties related to the environment, including the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, substantive environmental rights, and protection of vulnerable populations. Part II emphasizes international cooperation, especially during disasters. Part III addresses implementation, Part IV establishes a monitoring committee, and Part V deals with entry into force. Additionally, the draft includes a Communications Procedure Annex.

​

This integration offers a timely response to contemporary urgencies: climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution challenges.  

​

This global initiative highlights the interlinkage between human rights and the right to a healthy environment, shedding light on our collective responsibility to preserve our planet for current and future generations.

​