I can start, Mr. Chair.
I would make two points. The main one is that notwithstanding the fact that many countries supported the UN resolution and that many countries have in fact codified various formulations around the right to a clean or a healthy environment, there is no standard approach or understanding of the content and scope of the right.
Indeed, when Canada voted in favour of the resolution, Canada expressly said that work remains under way to develop a common understanding of the right.
The second point I would make is that precisely because of the broad and general terminology being used, the amendments we have introduced in Bill S-5 will require the ministers to develop an implementation framework and to develop that implementation framework through consultation with Canadians. The bill will require that framework, among other things, to clearly explain to Canadians how the government interprets these concepts and how it will apply those interpretations in the various decisions that are made under CEPA.
That's why the bill itself did not include a definition and deferred the approach to defining and unpacking the concepts to the implementation framework.