Opening speech by Rafael Benitez, Director of Social Rights, Health and Environment
Dear friends of the environment,
Dear Mayor,
Dear Co-Rapporteurs, Sarah and Michel,
Dear representatives of the Council of Europe and partner international organisations,
Dear representatives of our member States,
Dear colleagues from national human rights institutions and civil society organisations,
But most importantly, dear Environmental Human Rights Defenders,
It is a great pleasure and a true privilege to welcome you to your Forum – the first European Forum of Environmental Human Rights Defenders.
Although, in truth, I am not sure that you need a welcome. After all, you are in your own home.
The Council of Europe is the House of Human Rights. It is a place where voices are heard, where difficult conversations can take place, and where people come together to address the challenges of our time for the benefit of present and future generations.
We are therefore particularly pleased to welcome you here today. In many ways, we have been waiting for you: waiting for your experience, your insights and your ideas to help us move forward at this critical moment. Your presence here matters because you bring not only knowledge and expertise, but also hope and strength, inspiration and focus. At a time when environmental degradation, climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution increasingly affect the enjoyment of human rights across our continent and beyond, these qualities are needed more than ever.
This Forum began yesterday with a dedicated meeting of environmental human rights defenders themselves. Today, the discussion expands, bringing together defenders, representatives of member States, international organisations, national human rights institutions and civil society organisations to hear your findings, learn from your experiences and reflect on your recommendations.
This is the first Forum of its kind in Europe. It is intended not simply as an event, but as the beginning of an ongoing process: a space to build connections, share experiences, learn from one another and identify practical ways to strengthen the protection, participation and recognition of environmental human rights defenders across Europe.
We feel privileged to host this initiative, which is the result of close cooperation between many partners and organisations. I would therefore like to express my sincere gratitude to the organising committee, to our co-rapporteurs and to all those who have contributed to making this Forum a reality.
The fact that so many different actors are gathered here today reflects a growing recognition of a simple but powerful truth: environmental human rights defenders play an indispensable role in our democracies.
You are often the first to identify environmental harm. You bring evidence to light. You give voice to affected communities. You defend the rights of those who may otherwise remain unheard. You help ensure transparency, accountability and public participation. In doing so, you are not only protecting nature. You are helping to protect human dignity, public health, social justice and the rule of law.
Yet we also know that environmental human rights defenders frequently face intimidation, harassment, strategic lawsuits, threats and, in some parts of the world, violence. Defending the environment should never come at the cost of one's safety or fundamental rights. Protecting those who protect the environment is therefore not merely an environmental issue. It is a human rights imperative and a democratic necessity.
This understanding lies at the heart of the Council of Europe's work.
This commitment is rooted in a landmark political decision taken by the Heads of State and Government of the Council of Europe at their Fourth Summit in Reykjavík in 2023. In the Reykjavík Declaration, they recognised for the first time at the highest political level within our Organisation the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment as a human right that is essential for the full enjoyment of human rights by present and future generations.
This recognition was not intended as a symbolic statement. It was a call to action. It reflected a growing understanding that environmental degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss are not only environmental challenges; they are also human rights challenges that affect people's health, dignity, security and well-being. The task before us now is to transform this political commitment into a lived reality for everyone across Europe.
In May 2025, the Council of Europe adopted its first Strategy on the Environment for the period 2025–2030. The Strategy reflects a clear vision: environmental protection, human rights, democracy and the rule of law are mutually reinforcing and cannot be addressed in isolation. It recognises that a clean, healthy and sustainable environment is essential for the full enjoyment of human rights by present and future generations and calls for stronger integration of environmental and human rights considerations across laws, policies and institutions. It also highlights the importance of participation, access to information, accountability and environmental justice. These are precisely the areas where environmental human rights defenders make such a vital contribution every day.
The Strategy provides us with a roadmap for action. But no strategy can succeed without people. Without committed individuals. Without courageous communities. Without defenders who transform principles into reality on the ground. In many respects, you are among the most important partners in the implementation of this Strategy.
The Council of Europe has also recently taken another historic step with the adoption of the Convention on the Protection of the Environment through Criminal Law.
This landmark treaty sends a powerful message: serious environmental destruction is not simply a policy failure or a regulatory issue; it can also constitute a crime. The Convention establishes a common framework to prevent, investigate and prosecute serious environmental offences, strengthens international cooperation and reinforces accountability for those responsible for environmental harm.
Importantly, it also recognises that effective environmental protection requires public participation and engagement from civil society. Environmental human rights defenders therefore have a crucial role to play not only in raising awareness and documenting environmental harm, but also in helping ensure that environmental laws are effectively implemented and enforced.
Together, the new Strategy and the new Convention represent a significant strengthening of the Council of Europe's environmental agenda. They demonstrate that environmental protection is no longer a peripheral issue. It is central to our mission of safeguarding human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
But legal instruments and political commitments alone are not enough.
The environmental challenges we face today are unprecedented in their scale and complexity. Climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution are reshaping the lives of millions of people. Their consequences are not distributed equally. Vulnerable communities often bear the heaviest burdens. Future generations will live with the consequences of the choices we make today.
Addressing these challenges requires institutions to listen. It requires governments to engage. It requires societies to remain open to criticism and dialogue. And it requires us all to recognise the value of those who speak up when environmental harm threatens people's rights and well-being.
This Forum is therefore not only a place for discussion. It is also a place for listening.
Listening to your experiences.
Listening to your concerns.
Listening to your proposals.
And learning how we, collectively, can do better.
I hope that today and tomorrow will provide opportunities not only for meaningful exchanges, but also for building new partnerships, strengthening networks and renewing our collective commitment to a cleaner, healthier and more sustainable future grounded in human rights.
So yes, dear friends of the environment, you are in your home.
But I would also dare to say that you are in your city: Strasbourg – a city that symbolises human rights, democracy, peace and European cooperation. A city where dialogue has overcome division and where institutions work every day to defend the values that unite us.
It is therefore a particularly fitting place to host this first European Forum of Environmental Human Rights Defenders.
And while I could say much more about Strasbourg and what it represents, I am delighted that we have with us today the Mayor of Strasbourg, who is far better placed than I am to introduce you to this remarkable city and its commitment to human rights, democracy and environmental action.
Dear defenders,
Thank you for being here.
Thank you for your dedication.
Thank you for your courage.
Thank you for the work you do every day, often under difficult circumstances.
And thank you to our co-rapporteurs for their leadership and vision in bringing this Forum to life.
I wish you a productive, inspiring and forward-looking Forum.
May these days strengthen our common resolve and help build a Europe where those who defend human rights and the environment are recognised, protected and empowered.
And please, never give up.
Thank you.