Business, Human Rights, and the Environment: Overcoming the Plastics Challenge - Reducing Marine Litter by addressing Management of the Plastic Value Chain in South-East Asia

The protection of our environment and ecosystems is key to human well-being and the enjoyment of human rights, including the rights to life, health and adequate standard of living, access to adequate food and to safe drinking water. A major environmental threat of growing concern in the East Asian Seas region is marine litter. The human rights implications of environmental damage are felt most acutely by disadvantaged segments of society, including rural communities and the urban poor, women, children, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and other marginalized groups. Additionally, UNEA 5.2’s emphasis on mainstreaming the informal sector as part of the drive to end plastic pollution, it is imperative to build appropriate awareness among key stakeholders including private sector, government agencies and civil society about Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) in the plastic value chain. Under the SEA circular project, Prof. Sara Seck from Dalhousie University developed the training materials that include three modules - Module 1: The Human Rights Dimensions of the Plastics Crisis Module 2: Plastics, Human Rights, and the Environment Module 3: Business and Human Rights (BHR) and Plastics