Astrid Puentes Riaño, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, made an official country visit to Ireland from 9^th – 20^th February 2026, and last week released her end of mission statement. The statement observes that:

“…coordination on transboundary issues can be difficult and compromise ongoing efforts to further protect the environment. In this regard, Ireland could further benefit from a greater utilisation and strengthening of existing treaty bodies such as the North-South Ministerial Council under the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement (1998), to develop consultation, co-operation and action within the island of Ireland to amongst other address transboundary issues.”

Northern Ireland Environment Link,[1] and the Environmental Pillar,[2] are encouraged by this reference to the need for enhanced cooperation to address transboundary environmental challenges on the island of Ireland. Both organisations are engaged in ongoing collaborative work designed to tackle this issue, including the joint commissioning of the ‘Linking the Irish Environment’ report in 2023. This report made a series of recommendations, including enhanced use of the 1998 Agreement treaty bodies to develop practical environmental cooperation across the border. This recommendation has now been supported by the UN Special Rapporteur.

Dr Ciara Brennan, lead author of ‘Linking the Irish Environment’ commented that, “The need for enhanced cooperation is becoming ever more clear as the extent of the shared environmental challenges on the island is exposed. Recognition from international and independent experts such as the Special Rapporteur of this need is vitally important and should impress upon governments, on both sides of the border, the need for urgent action to boost transboundary cooperation.”

Northern Ireland Environment Link and the Environmental Pillar continue to collaborate, and in 2026 will begin delivery of 2 joint cross-border projects designed to further promote transboundary cooperation and achieve positive environmental outcomes across the island.

Max Bryant, NIEL CEO, “In 2024, NIEL and the Environmental Pillar developed and delivered the All-island Civil Society Forum on the Environment. This and ongoing collaborative work demonstrate that civil society across the island is already working together to address transboundary concerns. The Special Rapporteur’s statement underlines that government should now do the same and focus on delivering joint solutions to shared challenges.”

Notes to Editor

[1] Northern Ireland Environment Link (NIEL) is the networking and forum body for non‐statutory organisations concerned with the natural and built environment of Northern Ireland.

[2] The Environmental Pillar is the umbrella organisation for national environmental NGOs in Ireland.