The APF in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the United Nations system's lead entity for addressing environmental issues at the global and regional level, has recently developed a new online course on National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) and Environmental Rights.

Developed from a Learning Needs Assessment, the course aims to support NHRIs to connect their human rights promotion and protection activities to environmental rights, and to facilitate their alignment with the growing environmental rights jurisprudence. Over 180 staff from 19 NHRIs in the Asia Pacific region completed the Learning Needs Assessment.

The connection between the protection of human rights and the condition of the environment, has been widely recognised in the international system. Environmental safeguards are increasingly becoming part of international and national laws. However, they are often insufficient to provide comprehensive environmental protection, or to ensure the full enjoyment of fundamental human rights. NHRIs with a broad mandate to promote and protect human rights are well-positioned to address the urgency of environmental issues, exacerbated by climate change from a human rights perspective.

With the growing awareness on the importance of environmental rights, more NHRIs are including environmental rights activities in their work plans, building knowledge, skills and tools related to environmental rights. This course aims to support NHRIs to do this.

NHRI staff can access the course for free through InforMEA, the United Nations Information Portal on Multilateral Environmental Agreements. Click on the link below to register for the platform and access the course, which will be listed under 'Environmental Governance'.

https://elearning.informea.org/course/view.php?id=73

The total course is approximately six hours in length, which can be completed as a self-paced course over a short duration of time. Certificates of completion will be generated automatically once the learner has completed the course requirements.