A/HRC/37/58 health by taking measures, among others, to combat disease and malnutrition through “the provision of adequate nutritious foods and clean drinking-water, taking into consideration the dangers and risks of environmental pollution” (art. 24 (2) (c)). 8. In the World Declaration on the Survival, Protection and Development of Children, adopted at the World Summit for Children in 1990, States recognized that millions of children suffer from environmental degradation, and committed to work for common measures for the protection of the environment, at all levels, so that all children can enjoy a safer and healthier future (see A/45/625, annex, paras. 5 and 20 (9)). The World Programme of Action for Youth to the Year 2000 and Beyond, adopted in 1995, includes specific environmental initiatives and states that implementation of the Programme of Action requires the full enjoyment by young people of all human rights and fundamental freedoms (see General Assembly resolution 50/81, annex, para. 20). States reiterated the importance of environmental protection in the document entitled “A world fit for children”, adopted in 2002, one of whose ten principles and objectives is to “protect the Earth for children” (see General Assembly resolution S-27/2, annex, para. 7). 9. At the national level, many States reported to the Special Rapporteur that they have taken innovative steps to recognize and protect children’s rights to live in a healthy environment. For example, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, El Salvador, Mexico and Paraguay have introduced national legislation that recognizes the right of children to a healthy, ecological and sustainable environment. Denmark, Saudi Arabia and Slovenia have adopted measures to protect children’s health from environmental degradation and chemicals. Serbia is using the media to raise children’s awareness about environmental issues, and Germany is promoting their participation in environmental initiatives. Many States, including Australia, Azerbaijan, El Salvador, France, Georgia, the State of Palestine, the Philippines and Switzerland, report that they have introduced measures to improve children’s environmental education. Oman and Qatar have each designated a “national day of the environment” through which they raise awareness about the environment among children and promote children’s participation in environmental activities. 1 10. The Human Rights Council has often drawn attention to the effects of climate change on the rights of children. In its resolution 32/33, it recognized that children are among the most vulnerable to climate change, which may have a serious impact on their enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, access to education, adequate food, adequate housing, safe drinking water and sanitation. In its resolution 35/20, it emphasized that climate change affects some children more than others, including children with disabilities, children on the move, children living in poverty, children separated from their families and indigenous children. In resolution 32/33, the Council called on States to continue and enhance international cooperation and assistance for adaptation measures to help developing countries, especially those that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change and persons in vulnerable situations, including children most at risk. 11. In recent years, human rights experts have begun to examine more closely the effect of environmental harm on the enjoyment of children’s rights. In 2015, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) published a report on the effects of climate change on children. 2 In August 2016, the Special Rapporteur on the implications for human rights of the environmentally sound management and disposal of hazardous substances and wastes, Baskut Tuncak, issued a report describing the “silent pandemic” of disability and disease associated with childhood exposure to toxics and pollution, and explaining the obligations of States and the responsibilities of business enterprises to protect against such exposure (A/HRC/33/41). At the request of the Human Rights Council, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) issued a report in May 2017 on the relationship between climate change and the rights of the child (A/HRC/35/13). 1 2 4 All of the submissions are available at www.ohchr.org/EN/Issues/Environment/SREnvironment/Pages/RepliesEnvironmentAndRightsChild. aspx. UNICEF, Unless we act now: The impact of climate change on children (November 2015).