First internationally recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and subsequently adopted as part of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966), the right to the benefits of science remains one of the least well known and least clearly understood of the international human rights framework. From the use of scientific methodologies for human rights purposes, to the implications of human rights for scientific conduct, significant advances have been made in our theoretical and practical understanding of the relationship between science and human rights. How are human rights and ecology specifically related? And, what do human rights add to a development approach to responsible earth stewardship? With a focus on the human right to "enjoy the benefits of scientific progress", this session is aimed at providing researchers, policy makers and professors with an understanding of the relevance of human rights for ecology and will explore the value of the human rights framework as a tool by which to pursue development programs and address ecological concerns, from the disposal of toxic waste in poor neighborhoods, to prevention and mitigation of climate change, protecting natural resources on indigenous lands, to food sustainability in arid regions.