Environmental Justice and Human Rights Advocate Samia Shell '21C, '24L Receives the 2023 United Nations Human Rights Prize

In December, joining a distinguished group that includes Malala Yousafzai, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King Jr., St. John’s Law student Samia Shell received the UN Human Rights Prize. She was one of six representatives who accepted the 2023 Prize on behalf of the Global Coalition of Civil Society Organizations, Indigenous Peoples, Social Movements, and Local Communities for the Universal Recognition of the Right to a Clean, Healthy, And Sustainable Environment.

Samia’s love for the environment bloomed as a child exploring the Chesapeake Bay and grew while she studied environmental science at St. John’s University and volunteered as a member of the Youth Constituency to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Her volunteer work led to her involvement with the Global Coalition, which unites over 1350 civil society organizations, Indigenous Peoples, social movements, and local communities worldwide as they advocate for the human right of everyone, everywhere, to a healthy environment.

“As a member of the Global Coalition, among other efforts, I’ve organized, moderated, and delivered interventions for numerous events focused on the roles of youth, civil society, governments, lawyers, and businesses in recognizing and implementing the right to a healthy environment,” Samia says. “I also helped to launch the General Comment No. 26 with special focus on climate change and provided recommendations to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child on the right to a healthy environment.”

Complementing her work with the Global Coalition, Samia built knowledge and skills as a Policy/Media Adviser for the Permanent Mission of Vanuatu to the United Nations, where she supported the Republic’s campaign to petition the International Court of Justice for an advisory opinion on climate change. Together, her initiatives in the field provide a strong foundation for Samia’s studies at St. John’s Law. “I’ve particularly enjoyed courses in International Law, International Environmental Law, International Trade Law, Civil Rights & Civil Liberties, and Administrative Law, which are all relevant to advocating for environmental justice in domestic and international contexts,” she says. 

Outside the classroom, Samia has gained legal experience hands on through summer internships with the Environmental Protection Agency and in the White House Counsel’s Office. As a member of the Law School’s New York International Law Review, she completed a note titled, “A New Horizon: The Right to a Healthy Environment and Climate Change at the World’s Highest Court.” “The extensive research and writing process has given me more effective tools to use in advocating for the right to a healthy environment and what I call the ‘unspoken assumption’ of environmental justice,” Samia shares. “It’s also helped me to imagine a future where courts can use the right to a healthy environment to ensure a livable climate and clean environment for everyone.”

As she starts her final semester at St. John’s Law, Samia looks forward to continuing her environmental advocacy. Reflecting on the UN’s recognition of that vital work, she says: “This honor has really touched me deep in my core and brought to the forefront a range of emotions. To have this historic opportunity to accept the UN Human Rights Prize on behalf of the Global Coalition has reaffirmed my belief that I have a duty to advocate for human rights and the environment. It has made me feel strong in my purpose, even more confident in my skills, ideas, and voice, and excited to optimize my legal career. It has also renewed my belief that when people bring together their strengths, perspectives, and experiences, we can collaborate effectively and with kindness to achieve a shared goal.”