David Richard Boyd Explained

David Richard Boyd
Office:	was United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment
Term Start:	2018
Term End:	2024
Successor:	Astrid Puentes Riaño

David Richard Boyd is a Canadian environmental lawyer, activist, and diplomat. He was the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment until 2024.^[1]

Life

Education

Boyd graduated from University of Alberta, and University of Toronto. He was executive director of Ecojustice Canada. He teaches at University of British Columbia.^[2]

Boyd became the second Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment succeeding the first appointee, John Knox, in 2018.

In 2020, he was named as a supporter of the #1Planet1Right campaign.^[3] He supported the Escazu agreement (2021).^[4] Also in 2021, he supported a Jakarta Clean Air lawsuit.^[5] ^[6] ^[7] He has called on countries to defund coal infrastructure.^[8] In 2021 he endorsed a condemnation of the killing of Nacilio Macario.^[9] Also in 2021, he presented a report about water shortages to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC).^[10] ^[11]

He was succeeded by as the special rapporteur by the Mexican Astrid Puentes Riaño in 2024.^[12]

Publications

Thematic reports

Call for Recognition of the Human Right to a Healthy Environment, co-authored with John Knox, former Special Rapporteur on human rights and environment, General Assembly, 2018, A/73/188^[13]
The Right to Breathe Clean Air, Human Rights Council, 2019, A/HRC/40/55.
A Safe Climate, General Assembly, 2019, UN Doc. A/74/161 (25 pp.) Annex. A Safe Climate: Additional good practices, UN Doc. A/74/161/Annex (13 pp.)
Good practices in recognizing and implementing the right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Human Rights Council, 2020, UN Doc. A/HRC/43/53 (27 pp.) Annex III: Additional Good Practices (31 pp.) Regional Annexes on Constitutions, Treaties, and Legislation Recognizing the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment Annex IV: Africa (37 pp.) Annex V: Asia-Pacific (27 pp.)Annex VI: Eastern Europe (28 pp.) Annex VII: Latin America and the Caribbean (35 pp.) Annex VIII: Western Europe and Other States (25 pp.)
Human Rights Depend on a Healthy Biosphere, General Assembly, 2020, UN Doc. A/74/161. (26pp) Annex. Healthy Biosphere: Additional good practices (49 pp.).
The Global Water Crisis and Human Rights: Water Pollution, Water Scarcity and Water-related Disasters (21 pp.), Human Rights Council, 2021, UN Doc. A/HRC/46/28. Annex. Safe and Sufficient Water: Additional good practices (33 pp.).
Healthy and Sustainable Food: Reducing the Environmental Impacts of Food Systems on Human Rights, General Assembly, 2021, UN Doc. A/76/179. Annex. Healthy and Sustainable Food: Additional good practices
Non-toxic Environments and Sacrifice Zones, Human Rights Council, 2022, A/HRC/49/53. Annex I. Good practices. Annex II. Additional sacrifice zones
The human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment: a catalyst for accelerated action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. General Assembly, 2022, UN Doc. A/77/284, plus Annex I. Good practices and Annex II. Links between SDG targets and international human rights instruments.
Women, Girls and the Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment, Human Rights Council, 2023, UN Doc. A/HRC/52/33. Annex I. Good practices.
Paying Polluters: The catastrophic consequences of Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanisms, General Assembly, 2023, UN Doc. A/78/168.
Business, planetary boundaries and the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, Human Rights Council, 2024, UN Doc. A/HRC/55/43. Annex 1. Good practices.

HRC mandated summary reports of expert meetings

Good practices—Summary Report on Experts Meeting on Experiences with the Right to a Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment, Human Rights Council, 2020, UN Doc. A/HRC/43/54 (21 pp.)
Pandemic Prevention—Summary of the Expert Seminar on human rights and environmental conservation in the prevention of future pandemics. Human Rights Council, 2022, A/HRC/52/44.
Business and the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment—Summary of the Expert Seminar on business and the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, 2024. A/HRC/55/41.

Notes and References

Web site: David R. Boyd, Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment . live . ohchr.org . https://web.archive.org/web/20190207133959/https://www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Environment/SREnvironment/Pages/DavidBoyd.aspx . 2019-02-07 .
Web site: David Boyd Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability. 2021-05-25. ires.ubc.ca. 2022-11-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20221123212538/https://ires.ubc.ca/person/david-boyd/. dead.
Web site: BirdLife International . Interview with UN rapporteur Dr David Boyd: the power of human rights . 2021-05-25 . BirdLife . en-us.
Web site: Thomson Reuters Foundation . Can a treaty stop Latin American activists being killed?. 2021-05-25 . news.trust.org.
Web site: UN expert supports lawsuit on Jakarta pollution . 2021-05-25 . The Jakarta Post . en.
News: Paddock. Richard C. . 2021-05-19 . Citizen Lawsuit Seeks Court's Help in Battle for Clean Air in Jakarta . en-US . The New York Times . 2021-05-25 . 0362-4331.
Web site: 2021-01-15 . Air pollution will lead to mass migration, say experts after landmark ruling . 2021-05-25 . the Guardian . en.
Web site: Climate crisis: States must stay the course on coal cuts - UN expert - World . 2021-05-25 . ReliefWeb . 29 September 2020 . en.
Web site: 2021-02-01 . Nicaragua : Amidst 'socio-political and human rights crisis', independent expert condemns environmental defender's death . 2021-05-25 . UN News . en.
Web site: UN expert: Water crisis is worsening, urgent response needed - World . 2021-05-25 . ReliefWeb . 4 March 2021 . en.
Web site: Human rights and the global water crisis: water pollution, water scarcity and water-related disasters – Report of the Special Rapporteur (A/HRC/46/28) [EN/AR/RU/ZH] - World ]. 2021-05-25 . ReliefWeb . 22 February 2021 . en.
Web site: 1 May 2024 . Current and former mandate holders (existing mandates) . 20 June 2024 . OHCHR.
Web site: Call for Recognition of the Human Right to a Healthy Environment, co-authored with John Knox, former Special Rapporteur on human rights and environment, General Assembly, 2018, A/73/188.