FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 10, 2020
Washington, DC–The United Nations Human Rights Committee is taking further steps to review Guyana’s human rights obligations. Following the Committee’s July meeting, they are now requesting that Guyana respond to questions about how the nation’s recent expansion into offshore oil production will impact human rights.
The Committee specifically instructed the country to, “Provide information on the steps taken to prevent and mitigate the negative effects of climate change and environmental degradation, particularly as a result of gold mining and offshore oil production.”
In response to the Committee’s inquiry, Center for International Environmental Law President Carroll Muffett said, “We welcome the Human Rights Committee’s inquiry into how extractive industries are affecting human rights in Guyana, both directly and through their impacts on good governance, the rights of Amerindian peoples, and the environment. The rapid development of oil in the country raises particular questions about whether and how the government of Guyana will reconcile oil extraction with its commitments to transparency, to the rule of law, and to upholding fundamental human rights.”
Melinda Janki, international lawyer, pointed out that the UN committee has asked the government to respond to concerns that large scale oil extraction significantly increases greenhouse gas emissions, causes ocean acidification and rising sea-levels. She states that “The only sensible response is to shut down Liza 1, cancel Liza 2, and reject Payara. The lives and well-being of the Guyanese people are infinitely more important than Exxon’s need for a new revenue stream to prop up its deteriorating financial position and dinosaur business model.”
“The UN Human Rights Committee’s inquiry represents the first time that they have been willing to question the incoherence of governments that claim to respect human rights obligations while promoting large-scale oil extraction. The Committee notes that such policies fuel ocean acidification and contribute to rising sea levels, thereby threatening the human rights for individuals most impacted by climate change,” noted Sébastien Duyck, Senior Attorney with the Center for International Environmental Law. “Through this inquiry, the Human Rights Committee joins other UN human rights institutions and institutions around the world in recognizing that the protection of the Right to Life requires States to review their energy policies and prevent the dangerous emission of greenhouse gases.”
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Additional background
United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner: List of issues prior to submission of the third report of Guyana (paragraphs 5, 14 and 27
CIEL June 2020 Statement on Guyana’s appearance before the Committee