Update
Geneva Rights and Environment Talks
The Special Rapporteur on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment reports to the Human Rights Council during its March session on issues related to their mandate. The Geneva Rights and Environment Talks aim to harness the opportunity of this moment of the year to reflect on the challenges posed by the rapid decline of nature and biodiversity, and on how Geneva contributes to bringing together the actors working towards ensuring the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is upheld for all.
About the Geneva Rights and Environment Talks
In the face of the three interrelated environmental crises — climate change, loss of biodiversity, and pollution — the recognition of the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment by the UN Human Rights Council and the UN General Assembly is an important milestone that puts environmental issues at the forefront of the human rights agenda.
Advancing Rights and Environment @ HRC61
The UN Special Rapporteur on the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment reports to the Human Rights Council during its March session on issues related to their mandate. The Geneva Rights and Environment Talks aim to harness the opportunity of this moment of the year to reflect on the challenges posed by the rapid decline of nature and biodiversity and the intertwined human rights implications. The talks are also an opportunity to discuss how Geneva contributes to bringing together the actors working towards ensuring the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is upheld for all.
Topics to be tackled in this session included: a follow-up on the report of the UN Special Rapporteur’s report to HRC61 on air pollution and human rights, rights of Indigenous Peoples and the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, on biodiversity and human rights ahead of the UN Biodiversity COP17, and on environmental impact assessments.
Keeping the Air We Breathe Safe | Geneva Rights and Environment Talks 2026
9 March 2026 | 14:30 – 15:30 CET | Palais des Nations, Room A-286-1
SR right to healthy environment, Earthjustice, GEN
Contribution of Indigenous Peoples to the Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment | HRC61 Side Event
9 March 2026 | 16:00 – 17:00 CET | Palais des Nations, Room VIII
Earthjustice, SR right to healthy environment, ISHR, FIDH, FIFDH, GEN
Towards Effective Environmental, Social, and Human Rights Impact Assessments | Geneva Rights and Environment Talks 2026
10 March 2026 | 12:30 – 13:30 CET | Palais des Nations, Room A-286-1
SR right to healthy environment, Earthjustice, GEN
Human Rights and Biodiversity: Advancing Rights‑Based Action toward the UN Biodiversity Conference COP17 | Geneva Rights and Environment Talks 2026
10 March 2026 | 15:15 – 16:15 CET | Palais des Nations, Room A-286-1
SR right to healthy environment, GeHRBiL, Earthjustice, GEN
Highlights and Key Messages
Previous Geneva Rights and Environment Talks
HRC58
Highlights and Key Messages
Human Rights and Marine Protected Areas
13 March 2025 | 9:30 – 10:30 CET | Palais des Nations, Room H-307.2 & Online
Geneva Task Force on Human Rights, Biodiversity and Land, SR right to healthy environment, Earthjustice, Soka Gakkai International & GEN
The Threats of Deep-Sea Mining
13 March 2025 | 10:30 – 11:30 CET | Palais des Nations, Room H-307.2 & Online
Geneva Task Force on Human Rights, Biodiversity and Land, SR right to healthy environment, Earthjustice & GEN
Part of the Geneva Dialogues on Mineral and Metal Resources
Towards the Third UN Ocean Conference: Human Rights Obligations in Relation to Ecosystems and Their Biomes | HRC58 Side Event
14 March 2025 | 13:00 – 14:00 CET | Palais des Nations, Room XXV & Online
GeHRBiL, SR right to healthy environment, Earthjustice & GEN
Environmental Impact Assessments: Consultation with the SR on her next report
15 March 2025 | 10:00 – 12:00 CET | International Service for Human Rights Office & Online
Geneva Task Force on Human Rights, Biodiversity and Land, ISHR, Earthjustice, & SR right to healthy environment
Human Rights at Sea
17 March 2025 | 14:00 – 15:00 CET | Palais des Nations, Room H-307.2 & Online
Geneva Task Force on Human Rights, Biodiversity and Land, SR right to healthy environment, Earthjustice & GEN
Ocean Defenders and Communities at Risk
17 March 2025 | 15:00 – 16:00 CET | Palais des Nations, Room H-307.2 & Online
Geneva Task Force on Human Rights, Biodiversity and Land, Geneva Roadmap 40/11, SR right to healthy environment, Earthjustice & GEN
Will the Ocean remain blue? How marine pollution violates fundamental rights
17 March 2025 | 16:00 – 17:00 CET | Palais des Nations, Room H-307.2 & Online
Geneva Task Force on Human Rights, Biodiversity and Land, SR right to healthy environment, Earthjustice & GEN
HRC55
Human Rights and Environmental Impacts of Investors-States Dispute Settlements (ISDS) Mechanisms
5 March 2024 | 13:00 – 14:30 CET | Villa Rigot & Online
SR environment and human rights, Earthjustice, CIEL, IISD, Global Cities Hub & GEN
No Nature-based Solutions without a Human Rights-based Approach
11 March 2024 | 9:45 – 11:00 CET | Palais des Nations, H307-1 & Online
SR environment and human rights & Geneva Task Force on Human Rights and Biodiversity, Earthjustice & GEN
Protecting Environmental Defenders: Updates and Challenges
11 March 2024 | 13:00 – 14:00 CET | Palais des Nations, H307-1 & Online
GeRoadMap 40/11, ISHR, Earthjustice & GEN
Environment @ HRC61
The 61st Regular Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC61) is taking place in Geneva from 23 February to 31 March 2026. Consult this regularly-updated page that highlighted the environmental-related activities of this session.
Geneva Human Rights, Biodiversity and Land Task Force | GeHRBiL
Links
- Environment @ 58th Session of the UN Human Rights Council
- Human Rights and the Environment
- Human Rights, Biodiversity, and the Role of Geneva
- Biodiversity and Geneva