Uphold Ecosystem Integrity, Food Security and Human Rights Of Indigenous Peoples, Women, Workers, Youth in *Purpose Paragraph*
Paris, France – Monday, December 7, 2015: As ministers arrived to hammer out a climate deal, an unprecedented coalition of indigenous peoples and civil society, from trade unions to young people to women’s rights advocates, called on ministers to #Stand4Rights in the core of the agreement.
Gathering on the main thoroughfare within the blue zone of the UN #COP 21, groups created a colorful skit that showed how the architecture of the climate agreement depends upon the incorporation of the foundational elements of human rights. These include the rights of indigenous peoples, gender equality and the full and equal participation of women, intergenerational equity, a just transition of the workforce that creates decent work and quality jobs, ecosystem integrity and resilience, and food security – all must be incorporated into the core agreement. Without this explicit recognition of human rights and ambitious outcomes on finance and loss and damage, among other issues, the whole agreement will fall.
“As part of a truly ambitious agreement, ministers must protect the rights of peoples and communities around the world, which means that the human rights language must be included in the ‘Purpose’ paragraph of the accord, Article 2.2,” said Alyssa Johl, Senior Attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law.
“For all the lip service paid by world leaders to the idea of protecting children and future generations, these vital constituencies are barely represented in the agreement, with children mentioned only once,” said Joni Pegram, Policy and Advocacy Advisor for UNICEF UK.
“Governments can not leave working people outside the climate deal. Securing a just transition for them and the rights of all other communities in this paragraph is the key for building social support for climate action,” said Sharan Burrow, International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) General Secretary.
“The greatest impacts of climate change are on those already most vulnerable,” said Katharina Rall, Health and Human Rights Research Fellow at Human Rights Watch. “We cannot effectively address climate change without ensuring that human rights are respected, protected and fulfilled,” said Rall.
“Women are 51% of the world’s population, and too often discriminated against, yet women are key actors in challenging and helping to solve the climate crisis,” said Camille Risler of the Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development. “Thus, women rights and gender equality must be recognized in this agreement.”
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