Human rights and the environment: Our generation must
meet the great challenge – UN experts
GENEVA (5 June 2015) – A group of 27 United Nations
independent experts* today urged governments worldwide to make sure human
rights are at the core of climate change governance, including by signing the
Geneva Pledge for Human Rights in Climate Action to promote and respect human
rights in climate action.
“Climate change is one of the greatest human rights
challenges of our generation, and it is our generation that must meet it,” the
UN experts said. “Heads of governments and their climate negotiators represent
the very last generation that can prevent catastrophic environmental harm to a
vast array of human rights.”
The human rights experts’ call comes on World Environment
Day, as international negotiators gather for the climate change conference
which started this week (1-11 June) in Bonn, Germany at the United Nations
Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat.
“Bringing a human rights perspective to climate change
not only clarifies what is at stake; it also helps to ensure that responses are
coherent, effective and responsive to the concerns of those most affected,” the
experts noted.
UN experts have warned earlier this year that the 2
degrees goal being discussed “is not ambitious enough to protect human rights”
in a report presented to the UNFCCC to warn States about the threats to the
rights to life, health, food and water and sanitation if the world temperature
warms just 2 degrees. (The report:
http://www.thecvf.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/humanrightsSRHRE.pdf)
“We renew our call on State parties to maintain language
in the 2015 climate agreement that provides that the parties shall, in all
climate change related actions, respect, protect, promote and fulfil human
rights for all,” they said.
In their statement, the UN human rights experts also
reiterated their support to heads of governments and their climate negotiators
and all those working to protect human rights from this grave threat.
(*) Check the full statement and the UN experts who have
endorsed it: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=16049&LangID=E
ENDS
The independent experts are part of what is known as the
Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest
body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name
of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that
address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of
the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not
UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from
any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity. Learn
more, log on to: http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/Pages/Welcomepage.aspx
For more information and media inquiries, please contact
Melinda Ching Simon (+41 22 917 9113 / mchingsimon@ohchr.org)
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