An authoritative UN rights body has issued potentially far-reaching legal opinions on one of the world’s most important human rights documents: the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

The new General Comment on Article 6 of the Covenant by the UN Human Rights Committee provides protection to populations from modern, lethal threats that include weaponized drones, environmental degradation and natural disasters.

It is the first such change in more than three decades, and in an interview with UN News, Committee vice-chair Sarah Cleveland tells Daniel Johnson what the revisions mean and how the panel works.