As a co-convenor of Protect VIP, CEED has provided inputs to the UN Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (CESCR), which are being considered for both the 77th Session of the CESCR and the upcoming report on “Oceans and Human Rights” by the Special Rapporteur on the human right to a healthy environment to the 58th Session of the Human Rights Council in March 2025. These submissions are made in collaboration with Franciscans International, Fastenaktion, PAHRA, and the Anglican Communion.
The submission provides input on both international and national laws that should have ushered in the protection, conservation, and restoration of oceans, specifically the Verde Island Passage, by way of incorporating a human rights approach. It also underlined the ongoing industrial activities, including operations of the majority of fossil gas facilities in the country, within the marine corridor. Operation of these facilities hinders the enjoyment of the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. One of its most recent illustrations, as highlighted in the submission, is the February 2023 oil spill by a tanker carrying 900,000 liters of industrial oil. The consequences of this disaster continue to impede access to a livable source of income and a healthy coastal ecosystem.
The submission suggests concrete actions for the Government of the Philippines to ensure the right to a healthy environment.
Download inputs here. The UNOHCHR inputs can be accessed here.