A thematic exhibition “Ecology: the Right to a Safe Life” dedicated to the World Environment Day (June 5) was opened in the Legal Information Reading Room (207b) from May 17 to July 25.

The population of the Earth, influencing its habitat, not only consumes its natural resources, but also significantly affects the environment, subjecting it to irreversible changes that subsequently affect a person. Over the history of civilization, 70% of forests have been cut down, over 200 species of animals have been irretrievably lost, as a result of irrational agriculture, about 200 million hectares of land have degraded, and the oxygen reserves of our planet have decreased by 1 billion tons. According to the report of the independent international organization Global Footprint Network, in 2014 humanity reached the point of no return, which means "the planet's impossibility to restore its resources." The vector for the deterioration of the ecological situation is stable.

In our country, by the Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus, the Day of Environmental Protection was established as a holiday on June 5 and its celebration coincides with the date of the celebration of the World Environment Day.

The legal framework for the use of natural resources is formed by the sources of both environmental and other branches of law. The Constitution of the Republic of Belarus established the rights of citizens to a favourable environment and other rights of citizens that are significant for determining the environmental and legal status of a person. The Concept of National Security of the Republic of Belarus considers environmental security as an independent type of national security of the country, along with political, economic, scientific and technological, social, etc. Today Belarus has concluded about 35 multilateral international environmental agreements, participates in the creation of the most important global and regional conventions and protocols, as well as a number of amendments and addenda to the agreements.

At the present stage, the efforts of the world community are aimed at solving global environmental problems. Environmental legislation is being improved and new measures are being introduced to minimize the negative effects of pollution and the depletion of natural resources.

The exhibition includes more than 60 documents: books, abstracts of dissertations, electronic discs, periodicals in Russian and Belarusian languages.

The exhibition may be of interest to academics and practitioners, teachers, graduate students, undergraduates, law students, and those interested in environmental safety issues.

The exhibition consists of the following thematic sections:

Human right to a favourable environment: international and national protection mechanisms
Constitution of the Republic of Belarus as a social institution to ensure the environmental rights of citizens
Environmental security is an integral part of the national security of the state
Legal protection of land, subsoil resources, water, air and forests from pollution in Belarus
Responsibility for environmental protection and and management
The ratio of law in the environmental sphere in the Republic of Belarus, neighbouring states and countries abroad.

Ecology: the Right to a Safe Life

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