Mission
Just Planet is a non-governmental organization with a broad range of expertise, on the ground experience, and a global network of human rights experts and activists. Just Planet advances human rights, recognizing the indivisibility of all human rights across past, present, and future generations, as well as the interdependence of humanity and the planet. Identifying contemporary and emerging human rights challenges and responding to human rights violations, Just Planet promotes and defends human rights worldwide. Our work is guided by international human rights law, international criminal law, and international humanitarian law.
Featured News
JUST PLANET ANNOUNCEMENTSJuly 2023 - Just Planet and coalition partners recognized by the UN for advancing the right to a healthy environment!The Global Coalition of Civil Society, Indigenous Peoples, Social Movements, and Local Communities for the Universal Recognition of the Right to a Clean, Healthy, and Sustainable Environment wins the UN 2023 Human Rights Award. This incredible achievement was only possible thanks to tireless efforts that began decades ago and resulted in thousands of people from more than seventy-five countries joining forces to achieve a milestone: the recognition at the UN level of our right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. Congratulations to all!
May 2022 - Just Planet has been in the news in recent months due to Just Planet expert Kathleen Maloney's amicus curiae submission to the ICC, the world’s first permanent international criminal tribunal, on forced marriage of girls and women. The ICC’s Appeals Chamber considered written and oral submissions on the law applicable to this grave and gendered criminal act committed far too often in today’s armed conflicts. This article, published by Opinio Juris, summarizes how expert feminist intervention at the ICC could significantly contribute to the development of the legal parameters of forced marriage as an inhumane act crime against humanity.
November 2021 - Feature article by Just Planet's expert in international criminal law and human trafficking, Kathleen Maloney: Ending Impunity for Forced Marriage in Conflict Zones: The Need for Greater Judicial Emphasis on the Human Rights of Girls, Journal of International Criminal Justice, Volume 19, Issue 2, May 2021, Pages 327–358.
6 October 2021 - Just Planet is very pleased to announce we have been granted special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council.
May 2021 - Congratulations to Just Planet Advisor and former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Juan E. Méndez on The Méndez Principles: A New Standard for Effective Interviewing by Police and Others, While Respecting Human Rights. These universal standards ensure that no person — including suspects, witnesses, victims, and other persons being interviewed — is subjected to torture, ill-treatment, or coercion during police investigation worldwide. The United Nations General Assembly, the Human Rights Council, the UNODC Crime Congress, and the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights have already welcomed this initiative.
PROMOTING ACCESS TO TRANSITIONAL JUSTICEFormer UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Juan Mendez introduces Just Planet and discusses the complexities of reconstructing society following mass atrocities and war.
ADVANCING THE RIGHTS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLESGeneva, July 2018 - Just Planet contributed to the 11th session of the United Nations Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that adopted new guidance on the right to consultation and free, prior and informed consent (FPIC). José Parra, Director of the Human Rights and Sustainable Development, attended the session and shared insights on FPIC with Dr. Albert Barume, member of the Expert Mechanism. FPIC is a central provision of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous peoples and Just Planet will continue to promote FPIC to translate the UN Declaration and the rights of future generations into reality.
Geneva, July 2017 - Just Planet attends tenth session of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) following the extension of its mandate to include advisory services to governments and indigenous peoples.
April 2017 - Just Planet participates in launch of the Study on Strategic Litigation Impacts on Indigenous Peoples’ Land Rights by the Open Society Justice Initiative. José Parra, Just Planet, was a member of the independent advisory panel of the study. Discussions at the report launch explored how the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples can support strategic litigation to implement the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Geneva, April 4 & 5, 2016 - Just Planet participates in review of the mandate of the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Just Planet advisor, Professor Patrick Thornberry, was a key expert at the session.
February 2015 - Just Planet and the Working Group on Indigenous Issues of the University of the Andes (Venezuela) address the issue of sacred sites and the right to indigenous collective heritage in Venezuela. We made a joint contribution on cultural heritage to the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
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PROTECTING CHILDREN'S RIGHT TO LIFE AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGESeptember 2020 - Just Planet joins civil society organizations, Indigenous Peoples, social movements and local communities in calling on the UN Human Rights Council, to recognize without delay the human right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.
July 1, 2020 - Just Planet joins Canadian NGOs calling for UN Committee on the Rights of the Child to question Canada about failures on climate change. Children argue Canada's inaction threatens their rights to life, liberty, security and equality.
September 2019 - Just Planet joins international human rights, indigenous, and environmental organizations signing Declaration on Climate, Rights and Human Survival. Groups are gathering at the People's Summit on Climate, Rights and Human Survival in New York, 18-19 September to galvanize the global movement for climate justice and demand immediate and ambitious climate action by UN and governments.
September 2019 - UN Human Rights Committee recognizes States' obligations to protect the right to life against environmental threat in landmark case Portillo Cáceres v. Paraguay. Applying the interpretive framework of ICCPR General Comment No. 36, the Committee articulated the undeniable link between environmental protection and human rights.
November 2018 - Just Planet and other advocates successful in getting the UN Human Rights Committee to include and ratify environmental paragraph (para 62) in ICCPR General Comment 36 (Right to life)
October/November 2017 - Just Planet leads joint submission to protect the right to life against climate change and environmental degradation. Just Planet, the Center for International Environmental Law, Amnesty International, Greenpeace International, Earthjustice, the Human Rights Consortium, the David Suzuki Foundation and Ecojustice made a joint submission to the UN Human Rights Committee regarding draft General Comment 36 (right to life) arguing that States' obligations to protect the environment are a core element of the right to life.
Yale University, February 25, 2017 - Just Planet hosts children's rights and extreme energy panel. Dr. Ted Auch of FracTracker, and Our Children's Trust lawyer, Elizabeth Brown joined Just Planet's Annabel Webb and Kathleen Maloney at the 2017 New Directions in Environmental Law conference at Yale University. The panel discussed States' international and domestic obligations to protect children against environmental and human rights impacts of extreme energy.
Geneva, September 23, 2016 - Just Planet calls for an end to fossil fuel subsidies and extreme energy projects, arguing that States have an obligation to stabilize the climate under article 6 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. At the CRC Day of General Discussion on children's rights and the environment, Just Planet called for States to implement science-based (350ppm) emissions targets in order to meet human rights obligations. Just Planet argued that 'extreme energy' projects, such as tarsands and fracking, are a flagrant violation of children's right to life, survival and development.
Geneva, July 14, 2015 - Working with Justice for Girls International, Just Planet brought climate change into the discussions of the UN Human Rights Committee at its 114th session. We argued that States' obligation to protect children's and future generations' right to life against climate change must be included in draft General Comment 36 (right to life).
ADVANCING THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN & GIRLSWashington DC, January 21, 2017 - Just Planet joins the Women's March on Washington as an official partner. Our Director of Int. Criminal Law & Human Trafficking, Kathleen Maloney, marched on Washington in solidarity with women across the globe. Just Planet representatives also marched in Vancouver, Canada.
November 2017 - Just Planet joins indigenous women leaders in Canada to demand the Canadian government eliminate discrimination against indigenous women under the colonial Indian Act.
November 2021 - Feature article by Kathleen Maloney on ending impunity for forced marriage in conflict zones and the need for greater judicial emphasis on the human rights of girls:
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