ABSTRACT
This chapter suggests that although human rights and environmental protection represent separate social values, the overlapping relationship between them can be resolved in a manner which will further both sets of objectives. The goal of international human rights law, as expressed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants, is "freedom, justice and peace in the world." Like international human rights protection, international environmental law has developed recently, but its ultimate goal is more difficult to define. The relationship between existing human rights and environmental protection has been described several ways. One view sees environmental protection as a prerequisite or precondition to the exercise of fundamental human rights. Another perspective views environmental protection not as a precondition for human rights, but rather as an integral part of their enjoyment. In a more manageable interpretation, "environmental rights" refers to the reformulation and expansion of existing human rights and duties in the context of environmental protection.
