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" RECOGNITION OF THE RIGHT TO RECOGNITION OF THE RIGHT TO A HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT By Dr. Sajjad U. Hasan LLM (Nottingham), LLM (Punjab) Advocate Lahore The 1972 Stockholm Conference generated a great international document, namely, Stockholm Declaration that evolved right of an individual to a healthy environment.1 Growth of environmental legislation at the national as well as international levels got momentum from the Stockholm Conference2 and environmental protection became a matter of global concern. The 1992 Rio Conference was a great event concerning international environmental protection. It, inter alia, produced: the Rio Declaration containing 27 principles; and Agenda 21. Principle 1 of the Declaration states that a healthy life having harmonious relationship with the nature is a right of every individual. Agenda 21 is an action plan for environmental management to be undertaken in the 21st century.3 A UN Special Rapporteur studied link between human rights and environment and reported in 1994 the conclusion that human rights are dependent on environmental protection and environmental deterioration has deleterious effect on human rights. Similarly, while exploring interconnection between human rights and the environment, a UN expert group, in 2002, reached a conclusion that healthy environment is indispensable for enjoyment of human rights and both are interlinked.4 Recognition of the right at international level International organizations through treaties, declarations, resolutions, reports, opinions and judgments help in shaping this continually evolving right. International treaties Convention on the Rights of the Child Convention declares that to enjoy health is the right of every child and obligates States Parties for implementing this right by taking…