Over the year of 2022, the Global Pact Coalition (GPC) took part in a number of events and negotiations in the field of international environmental law. Major changes and evolvements in the structure and networks of the organization also took place in 2022. Following is a recap of the highlights of the past year, and a preview of what is going to happen for the new year.
- In March 2022, a new Executive Director, Victoria Lichet, was appointed. Yann Aguila, former Executive Director, became President of the Coalition.
- On April 12th, 2022, a seminar discussing the UN Recognition of the Right to a Healthy Environment took place at New York University. This seminar was organized by the Centre for Human Rights and Global Justice, the Universal Rights Group, the UN Special Rapporteur, and UNEP. The Global Pact Coalition was a co-sponsor of this event.
- Victoria Lichet participated in a webinar hosted by the Environmental Policy and Law Journal on June 3rd, 2022. Prominent speakers were able to present their solutions to solve the triple global crisis in terms of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution. This webinar celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Stockholm Conference was an opportunity for speakers to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses of international environmental law.
- Yann Aguila took part in a seminar organized by the Universities of Barcelona and Rovira i Virgili on June 20th and 21st, 2022. The seminar celebrated the 1972 Stockholm Conference and 50 years of international environmental law. Yann Aguila closed the event talking about the future of international environmental governance and presenting the draft Global Pact for the Environment.
- Yann Aguila participated in a webinar organized by the Environmental Law Center of the University of Chile on July 5th, 2022. The webinar discussed the content of the project of an environmental constitution for Chile.
- The UN General Assembly’s Resolution 76/300 on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment was adopted on July 28th, 2022. The resolution followed months of mobilization by civil society organizations, among which the GPC.
- Victoria Lichet took part in the Environmental Policy and Law (EPL)’s webinar led by the Editor-in-Chief Bharat H. Desai, Ph.D. and a panel of experts that discussed the adoption of UNGA’s resolution 76/300, on September 20th, 2022.
- Victoria Lichet participated online in the IUCN International Environmental Law Conference in Oslo, Norway, from October 3rd to October 6th, 2022. More specifically, she intervened in session 31: “Transformation through linking human rights and environment,” focusing on “A convention on the right to a healthy environment to enshrine the third generation of human rights: the environmental rights.”
- The GPC revived its ambassadors’ networks to allow for the organization of webinars and other events, such as social media’s promotions by ambassadors. The main event organized by the GPC’s ambassadors this year was a webinar promoting the Global Pact for the Environment and sharing key aspects of the role of international volunteers, on December 7th, 2022.
For the upcoming year, 2023, we anticipate the following exciting developments:
- First of all, the GPC is happy to advertise the remaking of the Blog “Pathway to the 2022 Declaration”, now “Green Diplomacy”. The blog is expanding its scope to advance international environmental law and governance to meet the challenges of today.
- Additionally, videos presenting the most important principles included in the draft Global Pact for the Environment will be released on the GPC’s social media in February 2023.
- Last but not least, the GPC hopes to bring back discussion around an international convention on the right to a healthy environment. Following the UN General Assembly’s recognition of the right to a healthy environment as a human right, marking a new era in the development of the field of human rights and the environment, we are hopeful about the continuity and pushing forward of the UNGA resolution, turning the recognized rights into an international convention on environmental rights.
The Global Pact team is grateful for its partners, ambassadors and everyone’s continuous support.
