A/HRC/31/53 environmental threats to the enjoyment of human rights (see A/HRC/25/53, para. 18), but more could be done in that process to examine the application of human rights to environmental issues. 19. Finally, a recurring theme in almost all of the Special Rapporteur’s consultations since 2012 has been the threats to environmental human rights defenders. Those who are working on the front lines of environmental protection are most at risk of threats, violence and murder. The Special Rapporteur has repeatedly said that States need to do more to protect environmental human rights defenders. One important step in that regard would be for the Human Rights Council to adopt a resolution in which it recognized the important contributions of environmental human rights defenders and addressed the criminalization, harassment and even death that they often face. The resolution could build on General Assembly resolution 70/161, which was adopted on 17 December 2015. 2. Other intergovernmental organizations 20. As important a role as the Human Rights Council plays in this area, a human rights perspective on environmental issues can only be implemented effectively if and when it is mainstreamed into the work of development, financial and environmental agencies. In particular, mainstreaming a human rights perspective across the work of different United Nations agencies and reducing fragmentation of human rights activities across different parts of the United Nations system is a prerequisite to achieve effective implementation.1 21. As the examples below illustrate, many positive steps have already been taken in this respect. However, more could be done by United Nations bodies and specialized agencies, multilateral environmental agreements, international financial institutions and regional development agencies. The following discussion is far from exhaustive, but it describes some important ongoing activities and additional proposals. United Nations Environment Programme 22. Over the past decade, UNEP has carried out a number of important initiatives towards the implementation of human rights obligations relating to the environment. Some of its work has helped to clarify the relationship between the two fields. For example, in 2012, UNEP and OHCHR submitted a joint report on human rights and the environment to the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development.2 In 2014, UNEP published a compendium of sources on human rights and the environment, including decisions by regional human rights tribunals and human rights treaty bodies.3 Most recently, UNEP published a study of climate change and human rights for the climate negotiations in Paris in December 2015.4 23. UNEP has also shared information and experience with other United Nations agencies. For example, it has participated in side events at the Human Rights Council and 1 2 3 4 See Universal Rights Group, “The Human Rights Council at 10: improving relevance, strengthening impact”, available from www.universal-rights.org/urg-policy-reports/glion-human-rights-dialoguehuman-rights-council-10-improving-relevance-strengthening-impact/. Human Rights and the Environment, Rio+20: Joint Report OHCHR and UNEP. Available from www.unep.org/environmentalgovernance/Portals/8/publications/ JointReport_OHCHR_HRE.pdf. UNEP Compendium on Human Rights and the Environment: Selected International Legal Materials and Cases. Available from www.unep.org/environmentalgovernance/Portals/8/ publications/UNEP_Compendium_HRE.pdf. UNEP, Climate Change and Human Rights, 2015. Available from www.unep.org/newscentre/default.aspx?DocumentID=26856&ArticleID=35630. 5