“The fragmentation of knowledge proves helpful for concrete applications, and yet it often leads to a loss of appreciation for the whole, for the relationship between things, and for the broader horizon, which then becomes irrelevant. This very fact makes it hard to find adequate ways of solving the more complex problems in today’s world, particularly those regarding the environment and the poor; these problems cannot be dealt with from a single perspective or from a single set of interests.” (Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ # 110)
As you know, leaders from countries around the world will gather in Paris next week to finalize the Paris Agreement on Climate Change (COP 21 – Conference of the Parties 21).
Climate change-related events are already causing loss of lives, livelihoods and personal property. In addition, they are affecting health, water access and food security, as well as damaging critical infrastructure. Moreover, climate change exacerbates existing vulnerabilities. In 2008, the UN Human Rights Council underscored this point in stating that “the world’s poor are especially vulnerable to the effects of climate change” (HRC 7/23, 2008).
So, while it is critical that the Paris Agreement establishes commitments that will reduce the levels of greenhouse gases in order to ensure the integrity and resilience of natural ecosystems, it is equally important that it protects the human rights of all, especially individuals and communities that are already vulnerable or marginalized. For this reason, many groups around the world are calling for the upcoming agreement to include the following reference to human rights in the operative section of the core agreement:
All Parties shall, in all climate change related actions, respect, protect, promote, and fulfil human rights for all, including the rights of indigenous peoples; ensuring gender equality and the full and equal participation of women; ensuring intergenerational equity; ensuring a just transition of the workforce that creates decent work and quality jobs; ensuring food security; and ensuring the integrity and resilience of natural ecosystems.
It is important to include this language calling for the protection of human rights because:
- While the Parties have recognized the interactions between human rights and climate change, they have not taken action to operationalize (ensure the effective function of) their rights obligations.
- Human rights will be affected by climate change itself as well as the actions undertaken in the agreement.
- In order to guarantee the mainstreaming and systematic application of human rights into climate change actions, this paragraph must be included as one of the general provisions contained in the operative section of the Paris Agreement. (Provisions contained in the preamble of a legally binding agreement have a much weaker political and legal status than the status of the operative provisions).
- Integrating human rights into the Agreement will allow for the informed participation of local stakeholders in the decision-making process when it comes to developing climate change policies, provide benefits for the most vulnerable and help to ensure that traditional knowledge will inform policy designs.
If you want to take action to work toward the inclusion of the above-mentioned paragraph in the final draft of the Paris Agreement, you could send a short email stating something like this --- “I am writing to express my support for the following revised Operative Paragraph: “All Parties shall, in all climate change related actions, respect, protect, and fulfil human rights for all, including the rights of indigenous peoples, gender equality and the full and equal participation of women, food security and intergenerational equity as well as a just transition of the work force that creates decent work and quality jobs and upholds the integrity and resilience of natural ecosystems.” Send to MakeItOperative@aol.com.
Sue Wilson, CSJ
Director, Office for Systemic Justice
Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada
519-432-3781 ext. 402
swilson@csjcanada.org