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Human Rights
Law Requires States to Pursue the Highest Possible
Five UN Human
Rights Treaty Bodies Demand Global Climate Action
GENEVA/NEW
YORK (16 September 2019) - Five UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies issued a jointstatement on Monday warning that States must act on climate as failure to do so
may constitute a breach of their obligations under human rights international
law.
The five
bodies highlight that under these treaties, States have legally binding
obligations to protect human rights by urgently addressing the climate crisis.
Under international law, “Failure to take measures to prevent foreseeable human
rights harm caused by climate change, or to regulate activities contributing to
such harm, could constitute a violation of States’ human rights obligations,”
the Statement says.
The endorsing
bodies, between them, are mandated to monitor the international human rights obligations
of 196 States. The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against
Women, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Committee on
the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their
Families, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and the Committee on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities, urged States to fulfill their human rights
commitments by taking urgent, ambitious action to meaningfully address the
climate crisis and protect human rights.
“In order for
States to comply with their human rights obligations, and to realize the
objectives of the Paris Agreement, they must adopt and implement policies aimed
at reducing emissions, which reflect the highest possible ambition, foster
climate resilience and ensure that public and private investments are
consistent with a pathway towards low carbon emissions and climate resilient
development.”
The statement
coincides with next week’s Climate Action Summit convened by the UN Secretary
General. In this context, the Committees “urge all States to take into
consideration their human rights obligations as they review their climate
commitments.” Citing the 2018 IPCC special report concerning global warming of1.5°C, the Committees warn that climate change threatens, among others, the
rights to life, food, housing, health, water, and cultural rights and states
that “States are exposing their populations and future generations to the
significant threats to human rights associated with greater temperature
increases.”
The Committees
collectively committed to continue to review the impacts of climate change on
the rights protected under the human rights treaties and to provide guidance to
States on how they can meet their legal obligations, through mitigation and
adaptation to climate change.
ENDS
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