Children's environmental rights in national and international law
Background paper
Highlights
Children’s rights to a safe and clean environment are guaranteed in the Convention on the Rights of the Child but as this report shows, gaps exist in capturing these rights effectively within international law. While multilateral environmental agreements acknowledge the need to protect and conserve the environment for future generations, few refer to the present generation of living children as distinct from other age groups.
This report assesses the multilateral environmental agreements countries in the East Asia and Pacific region are parties to and the extent to which children’s rights are protected in both international treaties and soft law. Relevant case studies of environmental lawsuits by children, when their rights were violated, are included as well.
