ELI recently endorsed the open letter to the United Nations Human Rights Council calling for stronger action against corruption’s impact on human rights. This advocacy effort achieved a significant milestone with the Human Rights Council adopted the latest resolution on this issue. The resolution’s call for comprehensive anti-corruption guidelines provides a framework to strengthen environmental law enforcement, safeguard ecosystems, and protect communities.

ELI’s endorsement reflects our understanding that corruption undermines environmental protection, human rights, and sustainable development. When officials divert resources from environmental monitoring, accept bribes for destructive projects, or fail to enforce regulations, the consequences devastate ecosystems and communities worldwide. Our work has shown that corruption in environmental governance disproportionately impacts vulnerable populations—indigenous communities, small-scale farmers, and marginalized groups who depend on natural resources.

ELI’s research and intelligence-gathering consistently highlight how corruption enables wildlife trafficking, illegal resource extraction, and environmental crimes, threatening the fundamental human rights of communities that depend on healthy ecosystems for their survival, livelihoods, and cultural identity.

Through our continued advocacy, ELI remains committed to supporting this resolution’s implementation and advancing the critical intersection of environmental protection, anti-corruption efforts, and human rights.