Brazil Enacts Law Strengthening Children's Rights to Nature Amid International Cooperation
Brazil reinforces children's rights to nature with new law while cooperating with Egypt on child protection policies.
- • Lei 15.512 establishes children's right to nature and mandates priority protection in environmental risks.
- • The law modifies Brazil's National Environmental and Climate Change policies to include childhood rights.
- • Brazil hosted a technical meeting with Egypt focusing on mental health and social protection for children.
- • Inclusion of children and adolescents in policy decisions emphasized during Brazil-Egypt cooperation.
Key details
Brazil has taken a significant step to protect the rights of children and adolescents to a healthy natural environment through the enactment of Lei 15.512, published recently in the Diário Oficial da União. The law guarantees children and adolescents the right to nature, mandating priority care in socio-environmental and climate risk situations and emphasizing the creation of public spaces that foster contact with nature. It acknowledges the particularly high vulnerability of children, especially those in early childhood and with disabilities, to environmental degradation and climate change impacts. The legislation modifies the National Environmental Policy to explicitly include childhood rights to a balanced environment and establishes a duty for families, society, and the state to uphold these rights. Furthermore, the National Climate Change Policy now requires prioritizing government actions to mitigate climate impacts on this demographic. This law, originating from proposal PL 2.225/2024 by federal deputy Laura Carneiro, was approved by the Senate and signed by the President without vetoes.
In parallel, Brazil is also engaging in international cooperation to enhance child and adolescent welfare. On October 22, the Brazilian Ministry of Human Rights and Citizenship hosted a technical meeting with Egypt's Ministry of Social Solidarity and UNICEF representatives focused on mental health and psychosocial protection policies for young people. The exchange included presentations on Brazil's National Secretariat for the Rights of Children and Adolescents and the National Council for the Rights of Children and Adolescents' collaborative efforts in mental health care. A key point raised was the vital inclusion of children and adolescents in policymaking affecting them. The agenda featured plans for technical visits to health and social service centers to share best practices.
These developments highlight Brazil's comprehensive approach to safeguarding children's rights by addressing environmental, social, and mental health dimensions through both domestic legislation and international partnership.
This article was translated and synthesized from Brazilian sources, providing English-speaking readers with local perspectives.
