43rd Regular Session of the Human Rights Council
Salle XX, Palais des Nations
02 March 2020
Agenda Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Environment
Speaking time: 1 min. 30 sec.
Thank you, Mister Vice-President.
My delegation welcomes the Special Rapporteur’s comprehensive survey of good practices by States in realizing the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
We thank the SR for positively acknowledging the robust measures and good practices by the Philippines including the constitutional and legal recognition of the right to a healthy environment and gender-sensitive climate policy and rights-based approach to climate action.
In addition to these good practices, Philippine landmark jurisprudence on environmental cases set positive examples of government leadership in ensuring access to justice and effective remedies in order to truly operationalize this right. The Philippines introduced the writ of kalikasan or writ of nature, a first-of-its-kind special civil action and judicial remedy granted to petitioners of environmental cases. Another remedy is the writ of continuing mandamus which allows the court to require from government agencies a series of actions until judgement is fully satisfied. Other measures in place include waived filing fees to make environmental litigation accessible, issuance of environmental protection orders, and the application of the precautionary principle.
We support the SR in highlighting the need for accelerated affirmative actions on healthy environment and safe climate as these underpin the achievement of the 2030 SDG Agenda. We encourage the SR, in carrying out his mandate on environment, to continue to consider the closely interlinked issues associated with the impact of climate change on the enjoyment of human rights.
Thank you, Mister Vice-President. END