Human rights must be at centre stage as Paris climate deal takes effect: UN
Agency
Dhaka: Human rights must be at the centre stage as the Paris climate change agreement is put into practice, UN specialists have said ahead of a major global conference.
The implementation guidelines for the COP 21 deal should also focus heavily on sustainable development, said the experts as UN agencies, governments and civil society groups prepare to meet in Bonn from November 6 to 17 for the COP 23 climate change conference, which will work on guidelines for how the deal will be implemented, reports the UNB.
The UN experts are John Knox, Special Rapporteur on the issue of human rights obligations relating to the enjoyment of a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment; Leilani Farha, Special Rapporteur on the right to adequate housing; Obiora C Okafor, the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity; Felipe Gonzalez Morales, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants; and Saad Alfarargi, Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development.
The Paris Agreement marked an important global recognition of the devastating human rights impacts of climate change and the key importance of human rights in addressing this global challenge, said the experts in a statement. ‘It is crucial that this recognition is carried forward as the world works together to implement the plan and to create a sustainable shared future.’
The statement added: ‘All of us - from Governments and groups to communities and individuals - should come together in a spirit of cooperation, solidarity, creativity and determination to build on the Paris agreement, to shape a safe, healthy and sustainable world where all human rights and fundamental freedoms are realised.’
The COP 23 conference will discuss financing climate action, enabling countries to cooperate, adapt and build resilience, reporting progress, and creating an enabling environment for sustainable development.
The experts said they embraced the Fijian Presidency’s vision of infusing the COP 23 with the Fijian ‘Bula Spirit’ of inclusiveness, friendliness and solidarity.