A/HRC/43/53 monthly bulletins on topics relating to the state of the environment and the use of natural resources. South Sudan published its first state of the environment and outlook report just one month after gaining independence. 21. Laws in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Montenegro, the Philippines, Portugal, the Republic of Korea and Senegal require the Government to provide environmental education. For example, in Montenegro, Law on the Protection of Nature (2016) calls for “emphasizing the importance and necessity of nature protection through the education system from preschool to university”. After adopting a national climate change policy, Ghana is now implementing a national climate education strategy. Lessons on climate change will be included in the primary school curriculum with a goal of raising schoolchildren’s awareness of environmental issues. 2. Public participation in environmental decision-making 22. Ensuring broad, inclusive and gender-sensitive public participation not only fulfils human rights obligations but also results in better outcomes. 23. In 2005, France enshrined in its Constitution the public’s right to participate in decisions affecting the environment. The Economic, Social and Environmental Council is a consultative assembly that promotes dialogue and cooperation between different groups of stakeholders to ensure that a diversity of views contribute to public policy development. The National Commission for Public Debate organizes public debates on proposals for major development projects, such as nuclear reactors, railways, highways, natural gas pipelines, hydroelectric dams, sports stadiums, and radioactive waste storage facilities. Between 2002 and 2014, the Commission held 70 public debates and 800 meetings involving approximately 150,000 people. 24. In Slovenia, the Environmental Act articulates the public’s right to participate in a wide range of procedures relating to environmental protection. Laws adopted in Hungary also guarantee the involvement of the public in decision-making processes. 25. In Norway, the Environmental Information Act includes provisions for public participation in environmental decision-making, while the Planning and Building Act provides extensive opportunities for residents to advocate for local plans that advance sustainability. A national guide to public participation in planning was published in 2014, with special attention paid to the protection of the interests of vulnerable groups. In 2018, Norway adopted a new Local Government Act, which requires all local and regional authorities to establish three councils, to represent young people, older persons and persons with disabilities. Norway also formalized a consultation procedure with the Sami indigenous people in 2005, fulfilling the right of indigenous peoples to participate in decision-making processes. 26. In 2017, Finland created the Agenda 2030 Youth Group to serve as an advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals and to participate in national planning and implementation to achieve them. The Agenda 2030 Youth Group comprises 20 people with diverse backgrounds, aged between 15 and 28 years, from all over Finland. The group organized a debate on climate change for presidential candidates and a youth climate summit in 2019, which involved 500 young people. 27. A crucial aspect of public participation involves the protection of environmental human rights defenders, who are often harassed, intimidated, criminalized or even murdered. In 2018, Mali adopted Law No. 2018-003 that affords protection to human rights defenders, including environmentalists. Burkina Faso and Côte d’Ivoire also enacted laws to safeguard human rights defenders.7 28. Honduras enacted a new law in 2015, establishing a national protection mechanism to safeguard the rights of human rights defenders, journalists and judges. Associated regulations were adopted in 2016. The Office of the Special Prosecutor for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, Journalists, Media Professionals and Justice Officials was established in 2018 with six prosecutors, four assistant prosecutors, and 10 investigators (see 7 6 See Front Line, Front Line Defenders: Global Analysis 2018, 2019.