Sustainable Development

Does international law protect those affected by environmental degradation and climate change? What are the interlinkages between conflict and the environment and how do international human rights law and international humanitarian law address these? What are the linkages and tensions between the sustainable development framework and human rights? Who are those left behind? And why is development more sustainable if guided by human rights?

Human rights and sustainable development are intrinsically linked and mutually reinforcing. The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – which aim to eradicate poverty, protect the environment and reduce all forms of violence – incorporate most of the core elements of civil and political, as well as economic, social and cultural rights. The degradation of the environment and environmental factors can also be at the origin of conflicts or human rights violations, which in turn cause severe setbacks for development.

Our research in this domain aims to explore the linkages between sustainable development, the protection of the environment, climate change and the branches of international law that protect the rights of the most vulnerable. It also focuses on those who are left behind – including peasants who represent 70 percent of people living in extreme poverty and 80 percent of the world’s hungry – and their specific rights.

OUR PROJECTS

Past projects

RESEARCH

Sustainable Development and Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Completed in 2022

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RESEARCH

Land Commercialization, Gendered Agrarian Transformation and the Right to Food (DEMETER)

Completed in 2022

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RESEARCH

Towards Food Sustainability: Reshaping the Coexistence of Different Food Systems in South America and Africa

Completed in 2022

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New Publication Unpacks UN Human Rights Council's Potential Role in Preventing Climate-Induced Conflicts

29 January 2024

Our new Research Brief explores the potential role of the UN Human Rights Council as an actor in the prevention of climate-related conflicts, alongside other multilateral efforts within the UN system.

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Dr Golay at the European Parliament News

Dr Golay Addresses the European Parliament on Peasants’ Right to Seeds

8 December 2023

At a conference at the European Parliament, our Senior Research Fellow Dr Christophe Golay discussed the compatibility of the draft law proposed by the European Commission with the international legal framework protecting the right to food and the rights of peasants.

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A NEW MONITORING MECHANISM FOR UPHOLDING PEASANTS’ RIGHTS

17 October 2023

In its last session, the United Nations (UN) Human Rights Council (HRC). created an international monitoring mechanism on the rights of peasants and other people working in rural areas.

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