Need for affirmative action to transform environmental policy - Wan Junaidi

The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Parliament and Law) said the National Action Plan for Business and Human Rights has identified the environment as an important parameter, recognising the constant violations in this area and the need to mobilise all actors, both the state and private sector players, to ensure that these violations are addressed as quickly as possible.

"I strongly believe that environmental protection is a social responsibility. Therefore, the effort to address environmental degradation and improve the protection should be as a matter of human responsibilities and rights."

He said this in his closing remarks at the Human Rights Day Celebration 2021 hybrid forum jointly organised by the Prime Minister's Department, Foreign Ministry, Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) and the United Nations (UN) in Malaysia.

The theme 'Access to Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment as a Human Right', is proportionate to the current recognition for the first time by the Human Rights Council that having a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is a human right.

Elaborating, Wan Junaidi said current environmental issues affecting the nation and the world require contemporary approaches.

"Such approaches need to focus on governance and accountability of the people towards the environment. It is also important that we need to uphold the very principles of human rights in all circumstances so that no one is left out," he said.

Meanwhile, Wan Junaidi added that the issues relating to the environment and human rights to a safe and healthy environment were not alien to Malaysians.

In fact, he said the failure to realise the importance of environment as a human right has raised questions about environmental governance in the country.

"However, there have been many strong proponents of protecting and improving the environment globally, nationally and locally.

"As a result of these initiatives, there has been some progress, but it is clear that in all parts of the world, our environment is under threat and that many problems are becoming more serious and severe," he added.

Human Rights Day is celebrated in conjunction with the official adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 Dec 1948.