Human Rights - Right to a healthy living environment

HUMAN RIGHTS

Right to a healthy living environment

Article 72 of the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia provides that everyone has the right to a healthy living environment and imposes on the state a duty to determine by law the conditions for the pursuit of economic and other activities and the liability of those responsible for environmental damage. Environmental risks – air pollution, noise, hazardous substances or the effects of climate change – often affect vulnerable groups most severely, which makes environmental protection also a matter of equality and intergenerational justice. Another important aspect is the public’s right to information on the state of the environment. In 2022 the United Nations General Assembly recognised the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right at the global level. A healthy environment is a prerequisite for the full enjoyment of many other rights, including the rights to life, health, food, water, sanitation and development.

Simona Drenik Bavdek

Human Rights Ombudsman of the Republic of Slovenia