A/HRC/43/54 Annex II Concept note 1. Background The Human Rights Council decided to renew the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment in March 2018 and appointed David R. Boyd as the second Special Rapporteur, beginning 1 August 2018. His predecessor, John H. Knox, had served since 2012. Since taking up the position, the Special Rapporteur presented, to the General Assembly in 2018, a report on the right to a healthy environment (co-authored with the previous Special Rapporteur), which called for the global recognition of the right to a healthy environment (A/73/188), and, to the Human Rights Council in 2019, a report on clean air as a component of the right to a healthy environment (A/HRC/40/55). He also carried out a country visit to Fiji, and his next visit is scheduled for Norway in September 2019. As recognized by a number of intergovernmentally agreed-upon resolutions (Human Rights Council resolutions 37/8 and 40/11 and United Nations Environment Assembly resolution 4/17), more than 150 States have explicitly recognized the right to a healthy environment in law through their constitutions, national legislation and regional agreements. Moreover, there is a growing body of jurisprudence in cases involving the right to a healthy environment at both the regional and national levels. Despite the developments in the promotion of the right to a healthy environment at the national and regional levels, there is limited understanding about good practices with regard to this right, and about barriers to its recognition, implementation and fulfilment. This expert seminar is convened to broaden and deepen the understanding of the right to a healthy environment so that this fundamental human right can be enjoyed by everyone, everywhere. 2. Objectives of the expert seminar Human Rights Council resolution 37/8 indicates that the expert seminar should examine best practices of States at the national and regional levels with regard to human rights obligations relating to the environment. In that light, the objectives of this seminar are: (a) To discuss good practices and lessons learned with regard to the promotion and implementation of the right to a healthy environment; (b) particular; To examine experiences with the use of the right to a healthy environment, in (c) for details); To provide input for the report of the Special Rapporteur (see the programme (d) To provide additional support for the global recognition of the right to a healthy environment by the United Nations; (e) To provide recommendations to the Council, as well as to Governments, civil society organizations and international organizations, as to the way forward. 3. Outputs The expert seminar will inform, pursuant to resolution 37/8, the report of the Special Rapporteur to the Human Rights Council to be presented by the Special Rapporteur at the forty-third session, held in March 2020. 20