Background

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The Special Rapporteur on Climate Change and Human Rights presented her first report to the Human Rights Council (A/HRC/56/46), mapping out efforts made in international human rights processes to clarify issues and obligations in relation to climate change. The report identified challenges, good practices, and opportunities relevant to the implementation of the mandate in the years ahead in the context of climate change mitigation (fossil fuels, energy efficiency, nature conservation and food systems), adaptation, just transition, climate financing and loss and damage, stressing the importance of intersectionality, with a view to promoting policy coherence and increased cooperation.

 

The clarifications offered in the first report provide a basis upon which to build and further clarify States’ obligations, individually and through international cooperation, as well as the responsibility of business enterprises, to respect human rights in the development of international climate change law and its implementation, as well as in other areas of international law that can contribute to the protection of human rights in the context of climate change. The Special Rapporteur sees merit in further clarifying State obligations and business responsibility through a sector-by-sector approach, in the implementation of her mandate.

 

Human Rights Council resolution 48/14 invites the Special Rapporteur to seek views and contributions from States and other relevant stakeholders, in the discharge of the mandate and develop a regular dialogue and consultation on measures at the domestic and international levels on effective and sustainable climate action that respects, promotes and protects human rights. 

 

Building on her first report, and as indicated, on the occasion of her first interactive dialogue at the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur is organising a consultation with States as part of series of consultations in person and virtually in the autumn, to hear views on the prioritization of the subjects of her next thematic reports. The consultations will involve States, UN entities, civil society, business, the research community, Indigenous peoples, environmental human rights defenders and children over the period September-November 2024. 

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Objectives​​​​

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The consultations will be held, in person, as well as in virtual and hybrid formats, from September to November 2024.

 

Through the consultations, the Rapporteur wishes to explore views and needs in relation to:

• which sectors of the just transition (eg, energy, extractives, transport, food systems) should be addressed as a priority, by the UN Special Rapporteur?

• which approaches to climate action (technologies, nature-based solutions, carbon markets, funding) should be addressed, as a priority, to further shed light on the human rights challenges in the context of climate change?

• which cross-cutting human rights (eg, right to education, right to health, right to science,) should be addressed, as a priority, to further shed light on the human rights challenges in the context of climate change. 

 

The consultations will also provide an opportunity to hear about new and emerging areas of research and evidence/knowledge production or practices by various actors. 

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Outputs 

 

The consultation will inform the thematic priorities covered by the Special Rapporteur for the years to come, and in particular annual reports to the Human Rights Council and General Assembly. Accordingly, the call for inputs for the next thematic report of the Special Rapporteur will be issued in December 2024 

 

In addition, the Rapporteur intends, for each report, to analyse scientific evidence from multiple sectors (natural and social sciences, medical evidence, Indigenous knowledge, lived experiences), and undertake a legal analysis encompassing international human rights law, international climate change law, other inter-related areas of international environmental law, the law of the sea, and international economic law.

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Collaboration 

The Special Rapporteur has been organising (or participating in) consultations involving children, youth, women, Indigenous Peoples, peasants, environmental human rights defenders, civil society, researchers, UN agencies and States. If any organisation would like to collaborate in this respect, please contact us. 

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Contacts 

 

If you have any questions or suggestions about this project, please contact Ms Frederiqe Bourque (frederique.bourque@un.org) or Ms Christel Mobech (mobech@un.org). 

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For question related to the consultation, please contact Ms. Romchat Wachirarattanakornkul (romchat.wachirarattanakornkul@un.org)