David Richard Boyd

David Richard Boyd
was United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and the Environment
In office 2018–2024
Succeeded by	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.^[1] 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.^[3]

In 2020, he was named as a supporter of the #1Planet1Right campaign.^[4] He supported the Escazu agreement (2021).^[5] Also in 2021, he supported a Jakarta Clean Air lawsuit.^[6][7][8] He has called on countries to defund coal infrastructure.^[9] In 2021 he endorsed a condemnation of the killing of Nacilio Macario.^[10] Also in 2021, he presented a report about water shortages to the United Nations Human Rights Council (HRC).^[11][12]

He was succeeded by as the special rapporteur by the Mexican Astrid Puentes Riaño in 2024.^[3]

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.

References