The UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Over the past 20 years, the effort to include The Right to a Healthy Environment among other basic human rights and fundamental freedoms has been growing ever-stronger. Today, the Right to a Healthy Environment is recognized as an essential human right in law or policy by more than 80% of the member states of the United Nations, by several states in the United States, and by more than 1300 civil society organizations around the world.
In October 2021, the UN Human Rights Council adopted Resolution 48/13, declaring the Right to a Healthy Environment to be a basic human right, and calling for the UN General Assembly to pass a formal resolution recognizing it as such.
In July 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution recognizing this right, as called for by the Un Human Rights Council, with over 100 states co-sponsoring and with no opposition.