As for the Human Right to a Healthy and Clean Environment a charitable foundation was set up under Dutch law called: “Stand Up For Your Rights”. This happened on Human Rights Day 2007 on December 10, 2007. Jan van de Venis is one of the founders and now a member of the board. Because NGup Rotor Blades is involved in a clean environment we are very happy to interview him on this interesting development.

Could you tell us a bit about your background?
I started my career as a lawyer at an internationally focused law firm, specializing in corporate law. International contract negotiations, dispute resolution, setting up entities, mergers and acquisitions, labour law, etc.
After some time I found a job as in-house Legal Counsel at Amsterdam based Greenpeace International. Over the last three years I have supported this coordinating body of Greenpeace worldwide on all sorts of organizational legal issues.
After having completed the International Human Rights Academy in 2005, I started researching into the topic of Human Rights and The Environment. A field in which I have published and given lectures and presentations on this subject.
After three years at Greenpeace International, the time for me had come to set up both an NGO and a law firm: Stand Up for Your Rights and Justlaw. This allowed me to focus on both Human Rights issues and commercial law areas in which I have become specialized over the years.

What Kind of organization is Stand Up For Your Rights?
Stand Up For Your Rights is a charitable foundation under Dutch law. It’s an international Human Rights NGO which focuses on Human Rights that are intertwined with sustainable development and a sustainable future of mankind and life on this planet. The - development of the - human right to a clean and healthy environment and the development of that right is a core issue.

Our mission is to increase worldwide public understanding that acknowledging specific human rights related to the environment, water, development, equality, our children, poverty and doing business, are crucial elements to sustainable development. As human rights are the most fundamental values of society, on a level superior to ordinary legislation, we have to broaden the human rights spectrum to include those related to sustainable development.

Why have you set up Stand Up For Your Rights?
I have taken the initiative to set up Stand Up For Your Rights because I think the world needs it and more organizations like that. There has never been more need for it to be there than right now.
Most acknowledged human rights NGOs choose to focus mainly on the more traditional and excepted human rights - such as freedom of speech, life, no torture, fair trial. Most environmental NGOs focus on specific environmental cases or issues. Some do take a more legal approach to for instance pollution issues, but they do not really call in the human rights involved. I am not saying that this is wrong or that they act too limited.

How far developed is this “Human Right to Environment”?
Responding to a growing environmental consciousness, many international treaties and local laws and regulations on environmental protection have been introduced over the past decades.

At first none of them quoted or referred to a human rights approach to environmental protection. But since the 1970s, slowly but surely, links between human rights and the environment have been recognized.
At this time there are several regional human rights charters and national constitutions that contain an explicit articulation of a human right to a healthy (and clean) environment.

Despite their separate initial stages, it has become more and more acknowledged over the years that human rights and the environment are inherently interlinked. To give a clear example; the right to life, personal integrity, family life, health and development of each human being depends on protecting the environment as the resource base for all life.

Although this has not yet been accepted in a treaty at UN level, over the past decades it has been considered more and more and to a greater extent that individuals should have a “Human Right to (a Healthy and Clean) Environment”.

Why should a healthy and clean environment be a human right?
The primary argument in favour of a human right to a healthy and clean environment is that it elevates the entire spectrum of environmental issues to fundamental values of society, on a level equal to other rights and superior to ordinary legislation. A level where it belongs.

Another benefit of a rights-based approach is the existence of international procedures that allow those harmed to bring international pressure to bear when governments lack the will to prevent or halt severe pollution that threatens human health and well-being. In many instances, petitioners have been afforded redress and governments have taken measures to remedy the violation.

A rights-based approach would – compared to existing environmental laws – also focus more on individuals, who in fact get hurt by the disruption of the environment, and less on states.

What is the current status?
After a long period of preparation, Stand Up For Your Rights was formally set up as a charitable foundation under Dutch law on Human Rights Day 2007 (December 10, 2007). The current board consists of three members: Teall Crossen, an environmental lawyer from New Zealand; Tineke Lambooy, a Dutch expert on legal aspects of sustainability issues and corporate social responsibility and myself, chairing the board.
As for the Human Right to a Healthy and Clean Environment we have set up an online initiative to create awareness and support on the changes needed in this area. www.RightToEnvironment.org and www.StandUpForYourRights.org will be the portals where you can read more on the topic and sign up to support the acknowledgement of the human right to (a healthy and clean) environment.
I would say: join us, support us and our mission and
STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHTS!