Todung Mulya Lubis: The UN Resolution on a Clean, Healthy, Sustainable Environment is an Achievement of Humanity
Co-Founder IOJI yang juga Duta Besar Luar Biasa dan Berkuasa Penuh RI untuk Norwegia dan Islandia, Todung Mulya Lubis mengapresiasi resolusi PBB tentang lingkungan hidup yang bersih, sehat, berkelanjutan sebagai HAM universal.
IOJI Co-Founder who is also the Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Norway and Iceland, Todung Mulya Lubis appreciates the UN resolution on a clean, healthy, sustainable environment as universal human rights. For Todung, this resolution represents “an achievement of humanity since the Stockholm Declaration.”
The United Nations (UN) in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in the middle of the year issued the latest resolution on the environment. Through this resolution, the United Nations recognizes the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a universal human right (HAM).
With the support of 161 countries and 8 others who abstained, the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution effective July 28, 2022. The resolution also strengthens the UN’s position on the impacts of climate change, environmental pollution and loss of biodiversity.
The resolution was also welcomed by the CoFounder of the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative (IOJI), Todung Mulya Lubis. “This [resolution] is a human rights achievement after five decades since the Stockholm Declaration,” he said at the IOJI office, Central Jakarta on Tuesday (20/9/2022).
Not Binding, But Could Be A New Foothold
UN recognition of the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a universal human right is not a binding policy. Indonesia and other countries have no obligation to comply with this resolution.
“Hundreds of countries agreed to make this resolution a customary international law(customary international law),” said Todung. He considered that the resolution also provided “a kind of moral obligation for Indonesia as a nation and state.”
Even though it is not binding, it is hoped that the resolution can become a new basis for the world government, at least for judges in Indonesia, in handling cases related to the environment.
IOJI Chief Executive Officer, Mas Achmad Santosa reminded how so far there are still many groups with an anthropocentric mindset, “and the ‘name’ of the social environment is still under the paradigm of economic development that focuses on growth.”
It’s time “there was a reversal of thinking [on that paradigm],” he later said. Moreover, the Earth is facing more and more environmental crises. “This resolution is actually not new for Indonesia,” he said.
Because this is not a new thing either, he hopes that the judges in Indonesia can reflect on other countries that have adopted matters that are the focus of resolutions first.
Facing “triple planet crisis,” said Mas Achmad, “which consists of climate change, pollution and loss of biodiversity, of course it will depend on business and government at the national level.” Instead of being a binding force, resolutions are expected to become an environmental advocacy tool.