environmental damage. They also promote and defend the rights of environmental defenders,
indigenous peoples and local communities.
In December 2022, the NHRCT translated both documents into Thai – the first time this had been
done. Building on this, the NHRCT published an information brochure on the right to a healthy
environment for communities and civil society organisations, together with state authorities,
across Thailand. More than 1,000 brochures will be shared in six workshops organised by the
NHRCT during May-July 2023 and seven regional workshops organised during August-December
2023.
The brochure will also be shared with Thailand’s Representative to AICHR for dissemination
during the consultation phase on the development of a proposed ASEAN Environmental Rights
Framework, as well as other relevant opportunities.The brochure includes introductory content on
human rights and the environment, human rights protection mechanisms in Thailand and SouthEast Asia, and an overview of the key provisions of the Escazú Agreement and the Aarhus
Convention.
Drafted with input from local experts in environmental and human rights laws, it also features a
QR code that links to a suite of resources, including the NHRCT’s research materials on human
rights and the environment and the full translation of the Escazú Agreement and the Aarhus
Convention.
Creating space for community voices
In many contexts, and especially in relation to the actions of transnational corporations, the voices
and concerns of local communities in Thailand can be marginalised. As part of its ongoing efforts
to address this imbalance, NHRCT hosted two workshops to hear directly from communities
and civil society organisations and state agencies about their concerns and their priorities for
realising the right to a healthy environment in Thailand.
The first workshop – held from 23-24 February 2023 in Bangkok – brought together 41
environmental human rights defenders (31 male, 10 female) from seven regions across Thailand.
These regions have experienced large-scale corporate or government-led development projects,
with impacts on the environment.
The two-day capacity building workshop sought to share experiences from other global regions –
Latin America and Europe – and UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment,
Dr. David R. Boyd together with practices in ASEAN and Thailand with regards to promoting
access to environmental information, ensuring communities are consulted in environmental
decision-making, promoting access to remedies in cases of environmental damage, and
protecting the rights of environmental human rights defenders.
The workshop also sought to strengthen links between participating community representatives
and civil society organisations, as well as discuss the potential development of a work plan to
coordinate the actions of a ‘Network of Community Rights and Environmental Responsive NGOs’.
The second workshop – held on 28 April 2023 in Bangkok – involved 38 representatives (20 male,
18 female) from civil society organisations active on environmental issues, as well as government
agencies with responsibilities for the environment and natural resources.
The workshop was a forum to share information and insights from the development of
international and regional standards on the right to a healthy environment and discuss lessons
that could be applied to the ASEAN context, especially with regards to a proposed regional
framework on environmental rights.
Participating civil society organisations included: World Wildlife Fund (WWF), ETOs Watch,
EnLAW Foundation, Seub Nakhasathien Foundation and the Thailand Environmental Institute.
Participating government agencies included: Pollution Control Department of Thailand; Rights
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