Statement by India under Annual Discussion on the Rights of the Child on the Theme “Realising the Rights of the Child through a Healthy Environment” Panel on “A healthy environment as a child rights concern: Setting the scene” during 44th Session of the Human Rights Council ( 30 June – 21 July 2020), delivered by Mr S. Senthil Kumar, First Secretary, Permanent Mission of India, (Geneva, 01 July 2020)
Madam President,
We appreciate convening this panel discussion and views shared by the panellists. Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The earth, the air, the land and the water are not an inheritance from our forefathers but on loan from our children. So we have to hand-over to them at least as it was handed over to us.” It has been our responsibility to hand over a prosperous and secure future for our children. This has been at the heart of our endeavour towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.
Madam President,
2. India has been making efforts to protect and improve the environment through various acts including constitutional amendment thereby making the Indian Constitution the first in the world conferring constitutional status to the environment protection.
3. Our Judiciary has been developing an environmental jurisprudence over a period of time and has facilitated a progressive realization of rights relating clean environment through different judgements. In one of such judgements, the Supreme Court of India has treated the right to live in pollution free environment as a part of the fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.
Madam President,
4. We have been implementing India's National Policy for Children under a rights-based approach in priority areas including their participation in the decision making process. A comprehensive review of the policy is undertaken every 5 years with the participation of all the stakeholders including children. In this regard, we would like to understand the views of the panellists on how environmental issues, as well as the participation of children in the decision making process on environmental issues, could be promoted in the review of our National Policy for Children.
Thank you, Madam President.
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