Environmental defenders are more important than ever
"Since the 2016 peace agreement, over 600 environmental defenders have been murdered in Colombia. We must protect the rights of environmental defenders so that they can continue to protect our environment," said Daniel Ortiz Gallego of the Colombian organization Centro de Alternativas al Desarrollo (CEALDES) during the seminar at the UN Association.

All our events focused on the adoption of UN Resolution 48/13 on the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. Adopted in October 2021, the resolution recognizes the right to a healthy environment as a fundamental human right. This is an important milestone for civil society, which will support the continued fight to protect the environment and obtain compensation for vulnerable groups affected by environmental damage.

"Many villagers suffer from cancer after Boliden dumped toxic waste in Arica, Chile. The UN resolution on the right to a healthy environment is an important tool for affected people to receive justice and reparation worldwide," said UN Special Rapporteur on Toxics and Human Rights Marcos Orellana during the seminar at the People's Forum.
"Small-scale farmers around Liberia are losing their land and villagers are being displaced from their homes due to industrial projects," said Radiatu Sheriff-Kanhplaye of Green Advocates International, Liberia during the side event at the UN conference.

"It's time to move from voluntary guidelines to binding rules to hold businesses accountable," continued UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment David Boyd.

Other recent articles

Amazon: a network of life beyond the rainforest
ForumCiv's regional office for LAC, in collaboration with the digital journal RAYA, hosted a screening of the new documentary "The Territory", which depicts the daily lives of the indigenous Uru-eu...

The future is youth – meet the Armenian who wants to build a more inclusive society
On a recent trip to Armenia's capital Yerevan, we met with Grigor Yeritsyan, who is the president of one of the country's leading youth organizations, Armenia's Progressive Youth - where he told us...

Empowering rural women through land rights
In a world where land ownership has long been a symbol of power and economic security, the fight for rural women's land rights continues to gain momentum in Liberia.