The Global Pact for the Environment: At the crossroads of human rights and the environment

The Global Pact for the Environment has the potential to be a milestone in the rapidly developing relationship of human rights and the environment. Most importantly, the first article recognizes the right of every person 'to live in an ecologically sound environment adequate for their health, well-being, dignity, culture and fulfilment'. This article provides context for the proposal to recognize the human right to a healthy environment. It reviews previous efforts to recognize the human right to a healthy environment at the national and international levels; explains how other human rights, such as rights to life and health, have been construed to apply to environmental issues; and describes how recognition of the right in the Global Pact, or in another instrument such as a resolution of the United Nations General Assembly, would contribute to the growing field of environmental human rights law.