Humanium ha firmado una Declaración Conjunta al 46º período de sesiones del Consejo de Derechos Humanos (CDH) sobre la realización de los derechos de los niños a un medio ambiente saludable. La Declaración Conjunta fue entregada por la Iniciativa de Derechos Ambientales del Niño (CERI) y el Grupo de Trabajo sobre Derechos del Niño y Medio ambiente el 3 de marzo de 2021 a la luz del diálogo interactivo con el Relator Especial sobre Derechos Humanos y Medio Ambiente de las Naciones Unidas.
Humanium se enorgullece de haber firmado junto a más de 80 organizaciones de todo el mundo la Declaración Conjunta sobre la realización del derecho de los niños a un medio ambiente saludable. La Declaración Conjunta llama la atención a la particular vulnerabilidad de la salud y el bienestar de los niños a los daños ambientales. Factores como la crisis climática, la contaminación tóxica del agua, la pérdida mundial de biodiversidad y los entornos tóxicos en los que los niños aprenden y juegan, representan amplias y graves amenazas a los derechos de los niños consagrados en la Convención de las Naciones Unidas sobre los Derechos del niño.
Los signatarios pidieron a los Estados Miembros de las Naciones Unidas que adoptaran medidas concretas para reconocer formal y universalmente el derecho a un medio ambiente saludable lo antes posible y garantizar que los niños puedan vivir vidas dignas, saludables y satisfactorias. El mundo está experimentando ahora una crisis ambiental sin precedentes y una protección integral contra los daños ambientales por parte de la comunidad internacional y de los Estados es más urgente que nunca ya que el futuro de los niños y las generaciones futuras descansa en esto.
El 23 de febrero de 2021, la urgencia de un reconocimiento inmediato del derecho a un medio ambiente saludable se reafirmó con las llamadas de miles de personas de todo el mundo durante Tweetstorm (Tormenta de Tweets). Fue un evento de alto nivel, en el que participaron el Comisionado de las Naciones Unidas para los Derechos Humanos, el Director Ejecutivo de UNICEF y el Director Ejecutivo del PNUMA. El mensaje que difundir era y sigue siendo: #EsElMomento de reconocer el derecho a un medio ambiente saludable!
Humanium cree firmemente que esta Declaración Conjunta es un paso adelante importante hacia la realización de los derechos medioambientales de los niños, tal y como hemos demostrado en el pasado a distintos niveles y a través de diferentes actividades. Si usted también desea contribuir al cumplimiento de los derechos de los niños en todo el mundo, considere hacer una donación, convirtiéndose en miembro de Humanium o uniéndose a la comunidad de Humanium como voluntario.
Escrito por Federica Versea
Traducido por Eva Fernandez
La Declaración Conjunta completa se publica a continuación y está sólo disponible en su texto original en inglés.
Realising children’s right to a healthy environment
This statement is made on behalf of the Child Rights Connect Working Group on child rights and the environment and the Children’s Environmental Rights Initiative.
No group is more vulnerable to environmental harm than children. The numbers are truly shocking. More than 1.7 million children under the age of five lose their lives every year as a result of avoidable environmental impacts, while millions more suffer disease and permanent forms of harm. We welcome the focus on children’s rights in the latest report from the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment, which states that every day, more than 700 children under the age of five die from water- and sanitation-related disasters. By 2040, almost 600 million children will live in regions with extremely limited water resources. From toxic water pollution and chemicals, to the climate crisis and global biodiversity loss, environmental risks pose grave and wide-ranging threats to children’s rights enshrined in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, with particular burdens faced by children facing intersecting forms of discrimination and marginalisation, including girls, children with disabilities, indigenous children and those living in poverty.
Although this has been widely documented in the past couple of years, there is still a gap in the recognition of the links between environmental harm and children’s rights. Children are not sufficiently recognised as holders of environmental rights; violations of their rights in relation to environmental breakdown are still underreported and are not met with adequate remedies. Strong normative standards to advance children’s environmental rights are missing.
The UN should formally recognise the right to a healthy environment as soon as possible. It would provide comprehensive protection against environmental harm, spur all states to prioritize actions to implement this vial human right and empower those working to protect the environment. Such a step would be of particular relevance to children and future generations, who shoulder a disproportionate share of the burden of environmental harm. It is beyond debate that children are wholly dependent on the natural environment to lead dignified, healthy and fulfilling lives, including a safe climate, clean air, safe water and adequate sanitation, healthy and sustainably produced food, non-toxic environments to learn and play in, and healthy biodiversity and ecosystems. In the face of an unprecedented environmental crisis, children and youth across the world are calling for more urgent and ambitious action.
Signatories
- Advocates of Hope Zimbabwe
- AFCOD-UGANDA
- Africa Movement of Working Children and Youth
- Association des Citoyens pour le Développement Durable en Haïti
- Awometrust
- Burundi Child Rights Forum
- Centre for Children’s Rights, Queen’s University, Belfast
- Centre for Environment and Rural Development
- Child Rights Coalition Asia
- Child Rights Connect
- Childline
- Children and Young People Living for Peace (CYPLP)
- Children and Youth Movement – Philippines
- Children Rights Advocacy and Legal Aid Foundation (CRALAF)
- Climate Warriors India
- Collective Community Action
- Community Transformation Foundation Network (COTFONE)
- Connecting
- Child Rights International Network (CRIN)
- CRN COMMITTEE
- Environment Africa
- Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, Kenya
- Gatef organizations
- Give Hope Uganda
- Green Institute
- How Impact
- Human Rights Watch
- Humanium
- IAM Mbare Youth Development Centre
- International Institute for Child Rights and Development
- Joy Village Foundation
- Kiambu county CHV CBO
- Kishoka Youth Community Based Organization
- Kiwangala Community Early Childhood Development Centre
- Kiwangala Community Library
- Kiwangala Community Primary School
- Kiwangala Community Social Initiatives
- Let Girls Learn Kenya Initiative
- Letsema Child Right Ambassadors
- Letsema Child Rights Network
- Livingstone Rhinos Rugby Union Club
- LRC ambassadors
- Make Mothers Matter
- Manyatta Development is Power
- MDT
- MenEngage Uganda Network
- Midlands AIDS Services Organisation
- Midlands State University
- Midlands State University Environmental Society(MSUES)
- Mtoto News
- Mubimba Primary School
- Mwanakwaye Movement
- Nest Foundation
- New Zimbabwe Youth Forum
- Pahchan Foundation
- PIVJET International
- The Boys Brigade Nigeria
- Rede de jovens
- REPSSI
- Retsepile Support and Development Group
- Revival NGO
- RNCYPT
- Save the Children Sweden
- SGE Initiatives
- Soka Gakkai International (SGI)
- Somero
- Sonke Gender Justice
- SOS Children’s Villages – Eswatini
- Strive Foundation Uganda
- SUHAKAM – Human Rights Commission Malaysia
- Terre des Hommes Deutschland e.V.
- The B Team
- The Community Human Rights Defenders Network (ACPDH)
- The Conscientization Movement
- The Future Generations Project
- Trinity Project
- TROVOCO
- University Student Chamber International
- UNMGCY
- Village of Hope for Development and Rehabilitaton for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities
- Vunja Kimya Foundation
- Young People’s Network on Sexual Reproductive Health on HIV and AIDS, Zvishavane
- Young Voices Trust
- YOUNGO
- Youth Environment Service
- Youth Network for Positive Change
- Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association
- Zimbabwe Environmental Law Association Youth Network
