UN expert to assess effect of climate change and environmental risks on human rights in SVG

The United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment, David R. Boyd, will visit St Vincent and the Grenadines from November 25-December 2 to assess the effects of climate change following the volcanic eruptions of April, 2021.

This is the first visit of the Special Rapporteur to a small island state in the Caribbean and is also the first official visit since the Human Rights Council last month recognised the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, a UN release states.

“I am keenly interested in the national implementation of the right to a clean, health and sustainable environment,” said Boyd. “My visit will provide a chance to evaluate how this right is translated into national implementation.”

He plans to assess the effects of climate change on the small island state, after he witnessed the major impacts of the climate crisis on a wide range of human rights in another island country on a previous UN visit.

“I am also going to look into other environmental issues such as biodiversity, pollution and sustainable development planning,” he said.

“I will aim to identify good practices and challenges related to Saint Vincent and the Grenadines’ human rights obligations.”

During his visit, Boyd will meet Government officials, representatives of civil society and environmental activists. He will present his preliminary observations on the visit at a news conference on 2nd December at 10:a.m at the Grenadine House, Kingstown Park. Access to the press conference is strictly limited to journalists, the release underlines.

The Special Rapporteur will present a comprehensive report on the visit to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2023.