Excellencies, distinguished colleagues and delegates, ladies and gentlemen.
Good afternoon, and welcome to Penang.
On behalf of the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR), I am glad to welcome you to this Interface Consultation between AICHR and the ASEAN Senior Officials on Environment (ASOEN) on the Proposed ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment.
This meeting marks a significant milestone in our shared journey toward strengthening the protection of human rights and the environment in ASEAN. It also reflects our collective commitment to a people-centred ASEAN, where human rights and environmental sustainability are not treated in isolation, but as deeply interconnected and mutually reinforcing.
AICHR was established in 2009 as the overarching human rights body in ASEAN with the mandate to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms of the peoples of ASEAN. Over the years, AICHR has progressively expanded its scope of work to address emerging challenges, one of them being the impacts of climate change and the implications of unsustainable development on the realisation of human rights.
Today, the link between the environment and human rights is clearer than ever. The worsening state of our environment — be it the deteriorating air and water quality, rising sea levels, extreme weather events, or biodiversity loss — directly affects the enjoyment of basic rights, including the rights to life, health, housing, food, and water. Vulnerable and marginalised communities often bear the brunt of these impacts, highlighting the urgent need for a human rights-based approach to environmental governance.
The proposed ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment seeks to affirm what many communities across our region already know and experience daily: that the right to a safe, clean, healthy, and sustainable environment is not a luxury, but a necessity. It builds upon a growing global consensus that environmental rights are human rights.
At the international level, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 76/300 in 2022, which formally recognised the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. This followed a similar landmark resolution by the United Nations Human Rights Council in 2021. The other regional human rights systems have also recognised environmental rights, and national constitutions and courts across the world have increasingly upheld them.
ASEAN must not be left behind.
This Interface Consultation provides AICHR and ASOEN with a valuable opportunity to exchange views, align our perspectives, and jointly shape a regional commitment that reflects our shared values and aspirations. ASOEN’s experience and technical knowledge are vital in ensuring that this Declaration is grounded in environmental realities and aligned with ASEAN’s existing frameworks and priorities on sustainable development and environmental protection. At the same time, AICHR is committed to ensuring that this process is inclusive, consultative, and anchored in our region’s human rights commitments.
As we deliberate today on the Declaration, let the Declaration not only be a document of principles, but a platform for action — a step forward in ASEAN’s journey to protect our environment and uphold the rights of our peoples for generations to come.
Thank you, and I wish us all a productive and meaningful discussion.
These opening remarks were delivered at the AICHR-ASOEN Interface Consultation on the Proposed ASEAN Declaration on the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment in Penang, Malaysia on 8 April 2025. The joint press release on the AICHR-ASOEN Interface Consultation can be accessed here, archived here.
