ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS REPORT 2007 HUMAN RIGHTS AND THE ENVIRONMENT ABOUT EARTHJUSTICE Earthjustice was founded in 1971 and has consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. We are a nonprofit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment. We bring about far-reaching change by enforcing and strengthening environmental laws on behalf of hundreds of organizations and communities. Earthjustice’s International Program uses the power of the law to protect the environment and human health worldwide. We represent public interest and community groups in international tribunals and domestic courts to hold corporations and governments responsible for environmental harm, prevent trade rules from undermining public health and environmental protections, and create strong tools for citizens to defend the right to a healthy environment. This report was prepared by Rosaleen O’Gara Marcello Mollo J. Martin Wagner Neil Popovic Yves Lador Hari Osofsky Shravya Reddy Erin Ganahl Rachel Kastenberg Sarah A. Peters David Takacs and Environmental Justice Course Participants, University of Oregon Law School Earthjustice 426 17th Street Oakland, CA 94612 U.S.A. Telephone: 510-550-6700 E-mail: [email protected] Internet: www.earthjustice.org FREE REPRODUCTION RIGHTS WITH CITATION TO ORIGINAL. TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1 DEVELOPMENTS....................................................................................................................... 6 I. INTERNATIONAL .................................................................................................. 6 A. UN Economic and Social Council............................................................................ 8 B. UN Economic and Social Council Bodies ............................................................... 9 1. UN Commission on Human Rights (UNCHR) ....................................................... 9 2. UN Commission on Sustainable Development ..................................................... 18 3. UN Commission for Social Development.............................................................. 19 C. United Nations General Assembly......................................................................... 20 1. World Summit 2005................................................................................................ 20 2. 60th Session of the General Assembly.................................................................... 21 3. 61st Session of the General Assembly .................................................................... 23 4. UN Human Rights Council .................................................................................... 24 5. Other United Nations General Assembly Events................................................. 24 6. UN General Assembly Bodies ................................................................................ 25 D. Other International Bodies .................................................................................... 29 1. The World Bank...................................................................................................... 29 2. World Health Organization (WHO) ..................................................................... 35 3. Global Environmental Facility (GEF) .................................................................. 36 4. International Labour Organization ...................................................................... 37 5. Group of Eight (G8)................................................................................................ 39 6. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)........ 40 E. International Treaties, Treaty Bodies and International Conferences.............. 41 1. The Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision- making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters (Århus Convention) 41 2. Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movement of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal ...................................................................................... 42 3. Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs)...................... 43 4. Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade............................. 44 5. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Cartagena Protocol ... 45 6. The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU).................................................................. 46 7. The Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol ....... 47 8. The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification ............................... 48 9. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands .................................................................. 49 II. REGIONAL............................................................................................................. 50 A. Africa........................................................................................................................ 50 1. “Fish for All” Summit ............................................................................................ 50 B. Asia........................................................................................................................... 51 1. The Jakarta Declaration......................................................................................... 51 C. Central Asia & the Middle East ............................................................................ 51 1. Formation of Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED) .......... 51 D. Central and South America ................................................................................... 52 1. Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA).......................................... 52 2. Inter-American Court of Human Rights .............................................................. 54 3. Initiative for the Integration of Regional Infrastructure in Latin America (IIRSA)..................................................................................................................... 56 4. Andean Free Trade Agreement ............................................................................. 58 E. Europe...................................................................................................................... 59 1. European Court of Human Rights ........................................................................ 59 2. European Commission............................................................................................61 F. Island Nations.......................................................................................................... 66 1. Antarctica / Southern Ocean – Treaty on Illegal Fishing ................................... 66 2. Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate........................... 67 3. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme............................................... 67 G. North America......................................................................................................... 68 1. North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (NAAEC) ....... 68 III. DOMESTIC............................................................................................................. 70 A. Courts....................................................................................................................... 70 1. Nigeria...................................................................................................................... 70 2. South Africa............................................................................................................. 71 3. Botswana.................................................................................................................. 72 4. Chile ......................................................................................................................... 73 5. Australia................................................................................................................... 73 6. United States............................................................................................................ 74 7. Peru .......................................................................................................................... 76 8. Argentina ................................................................................................................. 76 B. Governments ........................................................................................................... 77 1. Brazil ........................................................................................................................ 77 2. Swaziland................................................................................................................. 78 3. Liberia...................................................................................................................... 78 4. Kenya ....................................................................................................................... 80 5. Chile ........................................................................................................................