June 15-27, 2019
UNFCCC Intersessional SB50, Bonn, Germany
Key Issues Include Human Rights Integration into Domestic Implementation (NDCs) and Market Mechanisms (Article 6)
Bonn, Germany – At the 24th Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Katowice, Poland, Parties to the Paris Agreement achieved a significant milestone: adopting the majority of the implementation guidelines to establish the rules for how commitments made in the Paris Agreement would be carried out in practice. This step marks a new context for the intersessional climate talks between June 17-27 in Bonn, Germany.
As Parties embark on the 50th intersessional meeting of the UNFCCC (SB50), CIEL attorneys will be in Bonn tracking progress on key issue areas to ensure human rights are integrated into all climate action.
Market and non-market approaches under Article 6 – Having punted a decision in Katowice, Parties must now make progress at SB50 to ensure that potential cooperative approaches through market and non-market mechanisms include respect for human rights. Building on its experience working with communities directly impacted by climate finance, CIEL will be working to ensure any mechanisms do not undermine human rights and environmental integrity in the name of climate mitigation. For example, the “Sustainable Development Mechanism” must include rights-based environmental and social safeguards, meaningful consultation with local communities, and an independent, legitimate, accessible, transparent, equitable, and rights-compatible grievance mechanism if harms do occur.
Integrating human rights into national climate action – To be effective, climate policies must be designed with the meaningful participation of the public and of indigenous peoples. Integrating human rights and gender considerations in the planning of these policies increases public support for climate action and enables the implementation transformative solutions that benefit local communities. In Bonn, CIEL will work with various civil society partners to increase recognition among governments of the importance of human rights for the implementation of the Paris Agreement. This is of particular importance given that governments are currently working to update or enhance their domestic climate commitments, or nationally determined contributions (NDCs). CIEL will work with key allies to ensure that decisions adopted at SB50 effectively integrate the social dimensions of climate action and participatory governance.
Expert Availability:
Sébastien Duyck is a senior attorney in CIEL’s Climate & Energy Program. His work focuses primarily on promoting the integration of human rights and public participation in climate governance. Sébastien co-facilitates the Human Rights and Climate Change Working Group, gathering civil society organizations advocating for the integration of human rights in the UN climate negotiation process. He also follows UN processes based in Geneva and related to participatory and human rights such as the Aarhus Convention and the Human Rights Council. In Bonn June 15-26. Email: sdyuck@ciel.org
Erika Lennon is a Senior Attorney in CIEL’s Climate and Energy Program. Her work focuses primarily on the UNFCCC, Green Climate Fund, and climate liability. Erika has worked on numerous projects related to climate change, climate accountability, and the international climate regime with a focus on climate finance and strengthening environmental and social safeguards and accountability at international financial institutions, including the Green Climate Fund. In Bonn June 16-27. Email: elennon@ciel.org
For all other/general inquiries, please contact Amanda Kistler, CIEL Communications Director: akistler@ciel.org.
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