David R. Boyd, the UN special rapporteur for human rights and the environment, recently submitted an amicus curiae brief to the Central Jakarta District Court in support of arguments that officials have violated a constitutional right.

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The Coalition for the Capital on Tuesday confirmed that the court had received the amicus brief, which is presented by someone interested in influencing the outcome of a lawsuit but who is not a party to it.

Boyd said that protecting people from the harmful effects of air pollution is a constitutional and legislative obligation of the Indonesian government, and not an option.

“The failure of Indonesian [officials] to improve substandard outdoor air quality in Jakarta, especially when they have failed to act with the requisite degree of urgency and diligence in the face of prolonged and persistent exceedances of air quality standards, is a violation of the constitutional right to a good and healthy environment,” he concluded in the 19-page document submitted last month.

Having served more than 25 years as an environmental lawyer, Boyd said he decided to submit the brief to address this particular case in Jakarta because of its global importance.

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