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The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution recognising, for the first time, the critical connection between plastic pollution, ocean protection and the right to a
clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
Passed by consensus on the final day of the Council’s 58th session (February 24-April 4, 2025), the resolution marks a significant shift in international environmental governance. It is the
first instance in which UN member states have collectively acknowledged the importance of integrating human rights obligations into global responses to the environmental and health harms
caused throughout the plastics life cycle.
The resolution explicitly states that plastic pollution, climate change and biodiversity loss are together threatening the health of the world’s oceans — and, by extension, imperilling basic
human rights. It underscores that safeguarding marine ecosystems is not only vital for ecological balance, but also essential for protecting human dignity and well-being.
Building upon previous UN actions — notably the 2021 Human Rights Council recognition and the 2022 General Assembly resolution affirming the right to a healthy environment — the latest one
significantly strengthens the human rights dimension of environmental discourse.
It was strongly influenced by a December 2024 report from the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to a healthy environment. The report, welcomed in the Council's resolution, portrayed the
ocean as a single biome fundamental to life on Earth and to the enjoyment of human rights, particularly for vulnerable groups such as coastal communities and small island developing states.
The resolution highlighted that these populations are disproportionately affected by ocean degradation and natural disasters. It calls for a human rights-based approach to ocean governance,
with an emphasis on inclusion, participation and the protection of at-risk communities.
The resolution arrives at a pivotal moment, ahead of two major international events: the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France (June 9-13, 2025) and the final round of negotiations for a
global treaty to end plastic pollution, set to take place in Geneva (August 5-14, 2025). Observers said the resolution sets a strong precedent for these talks, establishing that human rights
considerations should be central to any future international agreements on ocean and plastic pollution governance.
“This resolution powerfully reaffirms the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment and underscores that States must uphold this right on par with other fundamental human
rights,” said Francesca Mingrone, Climate & Energy Senior Attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL). “It positions the Human Rights Council as a bridge-builder,
urging nations to embed human rights into ongoing plastic treaty negotiations and the upcoming UN Ocean Conference.”
The resolution urged all states to take decisive, coordinated action across the entire plastics life cycle — from production and consumption to disposal — and recognises the transboundary
nature of plastic pollution, including the threat of microplastics to ecosystems and clean water.
It also called for the application of the precautionary principle to prevent further harm to marine and coastal ecosystems. Restoration and sustainable management of biodiversity and
ecosystems are to be guided by a human rights-based approach that ensures transparency, accountability and the meaningful inclusion of affected communities.
Furthermore, the resolution affirmed the importance of integrating the traditional knowledge of Indigenous Peoples and local communities into ocean governance, acknowledging their crucial
role in the sustainable management of natural resources.
Tackling existing plastic pollution, particularly in marine environments, remains a top priority, given its vast and devastating impact on ecosystems, economies and human societies. By
explicitly linking ocean degradation and plastic pollution with fundamental human rights, the resolution lays the groundwork for a more inclusive and justice-oriented approach to
environmental protection.
It also reinforced the need for international cooperation, early warning systems and climate resilience strategies that prioritise the world’s most vulnerable populations.