Environmental and Human Rights Defenders
“The United Nations defines environmental human rights defenders as individuals and groups who, in their personal or professional capacity and in a peaceful manner, strive to protect and promote human rights relating to the environment, including water, air, land, flora and fauna“.
Global Witness released in September 2021 its annual report “Last Line of Defence: The Industries Causing the Climate Crisis and Attacks Against Land and Environmental Defenders. Just last year, 227 environmental defenders were killed, of which are indigenous people and local communities.
ARIEL supports the UN Environment Programme Defenders Policy to end acts of impunity to:
Denounce
the attacks, torture, intimidation and murders of environmental defenders
Advocate
with states and non-state actors, including business, for better protection of environmental rights and the people standing up for these rights.
Support
the responsible management of natural resources.
Request
government and companies’ accountability for the different events where environmental defenders have been affected / murdered.