About Us
“In recent years, the relationship between human rights and environmental protection has become clearer. A healthy environment is necessary for the enjoyment of a vast range of human rights. In turn, the exercise of human rights, including rights of access to information, participation, and remedy, is critical for the protection of the environment. UNDP and Swedish Environmental Protection Agency efforts to strengthen good governance in the mining sector are of vital importance for the protection of the environment and human rights.”
John Knox, UN Special Rapporteur on human Rights and the environment (2015-2018)
Integrating Environment and Human Rights into the Governance of the Mining Sector
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Swedish EPA) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) launched in 2014 the Environmental Governance Programme (EGP) for Sustainable Natural Resource Management, focusing on the mining sector. It draws upon the combined governance, environmental and extractive sector expertise of the two agencies and their partners.
Using the nexus between the environment and human rights as a lens, the EGP takes an integrated approach to sustainable natural resource management, that focuses on addressing the drivers of conflict, environmental degradation, inequality, exclusion, and poverty simultaneously.
The EGP is fully funded by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) from 2014 through June 2019.
Our Focus
The EGP provides targeted support to four countries: Colombia, Kenya, Mongolia, and Mozambique. The programme also works at the global and regional level to support the exchange of innovative policy approaches within and across countries and regions.
- We work with ministries of mining, environment, and other national and local stakeholders, to strengthen capacities for integrating human rights and environmental protection into the design, implementation, and monitoring of policies and regulatory frameworks relevant to the mining sector.
- We support civil society and human rights institutions to strengthen the right to information, participation, accountability, and redress in public decision making.
- We engage with the media to sensitize them to issues related to mining and environmental harms.
- And we create platforms for dialogue with the mining industry to strengthen understanding of and compliance with environmental and human rights standards and obligations.
- We aim to assist countries in advancing their efforts to meet national commitments under global environmental agreements, including Principle 10 of the Rio Declaration, and international human rights frameworks while accelerating progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Workshop
Do not hesitate to contact us for your help, we really appreciate it.
EGP+
The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, UNDP and the programme countries are now inviting interested stakeholders to send suggestions and opinions for the development of the next phase of the joint programme (EGP+, from 2019 to 2023). Your views are highly appreciated and welcome!
Workshop
Do not hesitate to contact us for your help, we really appreciate it.
Participating Countries
Learning
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