INTERNATIONAL LEGAL MECHANISM FOR PROTECTING CHILDREN’S ENVIRONMENTAL RIGHTS AT THE INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSAL LEVEL
Abstract
Introduction. The article examines the peculiarities of the formation and functioning of the international legal mechanism for protecting children’s environmental rights at the international universal level within the framework of the United Nations. The author justifies the relevance of the topic by emphasizing children’s particular vulnerability to environmental harm and the absence of a unified binding international instrument that comprehensively integrates children’s rights and environmental protection.
Summary of the main research results. The central element of the international system for the protection of children’s rights is the 1989 UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, whose provisions – interpreted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child – include the environmental dimension of such fundamental rights as the right to life, health, development, education, rest, and an adequate standard of living. The article analyses General Comments Nos. 7, 15, 16, 17, and especially No. 26 (2023), which for the first time explicitly recognizes the right of children to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment and clarifies states’ obligations regarding climate change. It also reviews the Committee’s practice, including the landmark Sacchi v. Argentina et al. case, which affirmed the cross-border responsibility of states for the harmful effects of climate change. The study highlights the role of the UN Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment, and the Children’s Environmental Rights Initiative (CERI) in strengthening child participation in environmental decision-making and developing standards for child-centred environmental governance.
Conclusion. The protection of children’s environmental rights has gradually become an integral part of the modern international human rights agenda. Despite notable normative and institutional progress, implementation remains uneven. Strengthening coordination among UN bodies, integrating environmental considerations into child rights policies, and ensuring children’s participation in decision-making are key prerequisites for transforming recognized legal principles into enforceable international standards.
Downloads
References
/References
Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989. URL: https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child (дата звернення: 29.10.2025).
Norozi, S., Moen T. Childhood as social construction. Journal of Educational and Social Research. 2016. Vol. 6. No. 2. Pp. 75-80.
Children’s Rights and the Environment. URL: https://www.unep.org/resources/other-evaluation-reportsdocuments/childrens-rights-and-environment (дата звернення: 30.10.2025).
Children’s environmental health. URL: https://www.who.int/health-topics/children-environmental-health#tab=tab_2 (дата звернення: 30.10.2025).
Kaime T. Children’s Rights and the Environment. International Human Rights of Children / U. Kilkelly, T. Liefaard (Eds.). Singapore : Springer, 2018. Pp. 1-23.
Ippolito F. The best interests of the child: Another string to the environmental and climate protection bow? Questions of international law. Zoom-out. 2022. No. 89. Pp. 7-27.
Case of Neulinger and Shuruk v. Switzerland (Application no. 41615/07): Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, 06.07.2010. URL: https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/FRE#{%22itemid%22:[%22001-99817%22]} (дата звернення: 28.10.2025).
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General comment No. 7 (2005): Implementing Child Rights in Early Childhood CRC/C/GC/7/Rev.1. URL: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/570528?v=pdf (дата звернення: 20.10.2025).
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General comment No. 16 (2013) on State obligations regarding the impact of the business sector on children’s rights CRC/C/GC/16. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/crc/c/gc/16 (дата звернення: 20.10.2025).
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General comment no. 15 (2013) on the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health (art. 24) CRC/C/GC/15. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/CRC/C/GC/15 (дата звернення: 21.10.2025).
Arkadas-Thibert A., Lansdown G. Article 27: The Right to a Standard of Living Adequate for Physical, Mental, Spiritual, Moral, and Social Development. Monitoring State Compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child / Z. Vaghri et al. (Eds.). Cham : Springer, 2022. Pp. 227-235.
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General comment No. 17 (2013) on the right of the child to rest, leisure, play, recreational activities, cultural life and the arts (art. 31) CRC/C/GC/17. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/CRC/C/GC/17 (дата звернення: 22.10.2025).
Lansdown G. Article 31: The Rights to Rest, Play, Recreation, and Cultural and Artistic Activities. Monitoring State Compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child / Z. Vaghri et al. (Eds.). Cham : Springer, 2022. Pp. 281-290.
General comment No. 26 (2023) on children’s rights and the environment with a special focus on climate change. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/CRC/C/GC/26 (дата звернення: 23.10.2025).
Draft General Comment No. 26 of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on Children’s Rights, the Environment and Climate Change: Submission of comments by Dr Christine A. E. Bakker. URL: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/crc/gcomments/gc26/2023/cs/GC26-CS-christine-bakker-2023-02-15.docx (дата звернення: 23.10.2025).
Concluding observations on the combined fifth to seventh periodic reports of Brazil: Committee on the Rights of the Child CRC/C/BRA/CO/5-7. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/CRC/C/BRA/CO/5-7 (дата звернення: 29.10.2025).
Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of Norway: Committee on the Rights of the Child CRC/C/NOR/CO/7. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/CRC/C/NOR/CO/7 (дата звернення: 30.10.2025).
UN Child Rights Committee rules that countries bear cross-border responsibility for harmful impact of climate change. URL: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2021/10/un-child-rights-committee-rules-countries-bear-cross-border-responsibility#:~:text=GENEVA%20(11%20October%202021)%20%2D,within%20and%20outside%20its%20territory (дата звернення: 30.10.2025).
Decision adopted by the Committee under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure, concerning communication No. 104/2019. URL: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3995712?ln=ru&v=pdf (дата звернення: 30.10.2025).
Committee on the Rights of the Child Open Letter on Climate Change. URL: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2021-12/Open_letter_on_climate_change.pdf (дата звернення: 06.11.2025).
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council 32/33. Human rights and climate change. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/RES/32/33 (дата звернення: 06.11.2025).
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council 35/20. Human rights and climate change. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/RES/35/20 (дата звернення: 06.11.2025).
Report of the Secretary-General Human rights of migrants A/HRC/45/30. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/45/30 (дата звернення: 06.11.2025).
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment: Visit to Fiji A/HRC/43/53/Add.1. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/43/53/ADD.1 (дата звернення: 07.11.2025).
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment: Visit to Chile A/HRC/55/43/Add.1. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/55/43/Add.1 (дата звернення: 07.11.2025).
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Issue of Human Rights Obligations Relating to the Enjoyment of a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment A/HRC/37/58. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/a/hrc/37/58 (дата звернення: 07.11.2025).
Сироїд Т. Л. Міжнародно-правовий механізм забезпечення права на здоровʼя дітей в умовах екологічних викликів // Міжнародний захист права людини на здоровʼя та безпечне довкілля : моногр. / авт. кол.; за заг. ред. М. О. Медведєвої. Київ : Видавничий дім «Вініченко», 2023. С. 55-86.
Resources – CERI. URL: https://ceri-coalition.org/resources/ (дата звернення: 07.11.2025).
Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989. URL: https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-child (accessed: 29.10.2025).
Norozi, S., Moen T. (2016). Childhood as social construction. Journal of Educational and Social Research. Vol. 6. No. 2. Pp. 75-80.
Children’s Rights and the Environment. URL: https://www.unep.org/resources/other-evaluation-reportsdocuments/childrens-rights-and-environment (accessed: 30.10.2025).
Children’s environmental health. URL: https://www.who.int/health-topics/children-environmental-health#tab=tab_2 (accessed: 30.10.2025).
Kaime T. (2018). Children’s Rights and the Environment. International Human Rights of Children / U. Kilkelly, T. Liefaard (Eds.). Singapore : Springer, Pp. 1-23.
Ippolito F. (2022). The best interests of the child: Another string to the environmental and climate protection bow? Questions of international law. Zoom-out. No. 89. Pp. 7-27.
Case of Neulinger and Shuruk v. Switzerland (Application no. 41615/07): Judgment of the European Court of Human Rights, 06.07.2010. URL: https://hudoc.echr.coe.int/FRE#{%22itemid%22:[%22001-99817%22]} (accessed: 28.10.2025).
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General comment No. 7 (2005): Implementing Child Rights in Early Childhood CRC/C/GC/7/Rev.1. URL: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/570528?v=pdf (accessed: 20.10.2025).
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General comment No. 16 (2013) on State obligations regarding the impact of the business sector on children’s rights CRC/C/GC/16. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/crc/c/gc/16 (accessed: 20.10.2025).
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General comment no. 15 (2013) on the right of the child to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health (art. 24) CRC/C/GC/15. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/CRC/C/GC/15 (accessed: 21.10.2025).
Arkadas-Thibert A., Lansdown G. (2022). Article 27: The Right to a Standard of Living Adequate for Physical, Mental, Spiritual, Moral, and Social Development. Monitoring State Compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child / Z. Vaghri et al. (Eds.). Cham : Springer, Pp. 227-235.
UN Committee on the Rights of the Child General comment No. 17 (2013) on the right of the child to rest, leisure, play, recreational activities, cultural life and the arts (art. 31) CRC/C/GC/17. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/CRC/C/GC/17 (accessed: 22.10.2025).
Lansdown G. (2022). Article 31: The Rights to Rest, Play, Recreation, and Cultural and Artistic Activities. Monitoring State Compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child / Z. Vaghri et al. (Eds.). Cham : Springer, Pp. 281-290.
General comment No. 26 (2023) on children’s rights and the environment with a special focus on climate change. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/CRC/C/GC/26 (accessed: 23.10.2025).
Draft General Comment No. 26 of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on Children’s Rights, the Environment and Climate Change: Submission of comments by Dr Christine A. E. Bakker. URL: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/crc/gcomments/gc26/2023/cs/GC26-CS-christine-bakker-2023-02-15.docx (accessed: 23.10.2025).
Concluding observations on the combined fifth to seventh periodic reports of Brazil: Committee on the Rights of the Child CRC/C/BRA/CO/5-7. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/CRC/C/BRA/CO/5-7 (accessed: 29.10.2025).
Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of Norway: Committee on the Rights of the Child CRC/C/NOR/CO/7. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/CRC/C/NOR/CO/7 (accessed: 30.10.2025).
UN Child Rights Committee rules that countries bear cross-border responsibility for harmful impact of climate change. URL: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2021/10/un-child-rights-committee-rules-countries-bear-cross-border-responsibility#:~:text=GENEVA%20(11%20October%202021)%20%2D,within%20and%20outside%20its%20territory (accessed: 30.10.2025).
Decision adopted by the Committee under the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure, concerning communication No. 104/2019. URL: https://digitallibrary.un.org/record/3995712?ln=ru&v=pdf (accessed: 30.10.2025).
Committee on the Rights of the Child Open Letter on Climate Change. URL: https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/2021-12/Open_letter_on_climate_change.pdf (accessed: 06.11.2025).
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council 32/33. Human rights and climate change. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/RES/32/33 (accessed: 06.11.2025).
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council 35/20. Human rights and climate change. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/RES/35/20 (accessed: 06.11.2025).
Report of the Secretary-General Human rights of migrants A/HRC/45/30. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/45/30 (accessed: 06.11.2025).
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment: Visit to Fiji A/HRC/43/53/Add.1. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/43/53/ADD.1 (accessed: 07.11.2025).
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment: Visit to Chile A/HRC/55/43/Add.1. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/A/HRC/55/43/Add.1 (accessed: 07.11.2025).
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Issue of Human Rights Obligations Relating to the Enjoyment of a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment A/HRC/37/58. URL: https://docs.un.org/en/a/hrc/37/58 (accessed: 07.11.2025).
Syroid T. L. (2023). International Legal Mechanism for Ensuring Children’s Right to Health in the Context of Environmental Challenges. International Protection of the Human Right to Health and a Safe Environment: monograph / collective of authors; edited by M. O. Medvedieva. Kyiv: Vinichenko Publishing House, Pp. 55-86 (in Ukrainian).
Resources – CERI. URL: https://ceri-coalition.org/resources/ (accessed: 07.11.2025).
Copyright (c) 2025 Ihor Voievodin
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
