The Special Rapporteur of the Organization of the United Nations on human rights to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, Ástrid Puntis Riano, warned today at the 58th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva that understanding the interconnections between people and ecosystems is key to comprehending the current consequences of this fragile balance, even for those who live within internal areas. She noted that these connections include food and ecological systems.
"The threat posed by the degradation of oceans has life significance for humanity," Riano emphasized, noting that the protection of marine ecosystems is part of the state's obligations to protect human rights.
