This data briefing analyzes the expansion plans of the oil and gas industry and assesses the compatibility with Paris climate goals. We primarily focus on the global expansion threat over the next five years (2020 to 2024). This short-term focus illustrates the urgent need for government, investor, business, and civil society action to chart a … Read More.
Compilation of Decisions adopted by the Parties to the Convention The Parties to the UN Climate Agreements have recognized that persons with disabilities are key stakeholders in the international response to climate change. As such, they must be engaged throughout the UNFCCC processes and their rights respected and promoted through any climate activity, including mitigation, … Read More.
Rights in a Changing Climate: Human Rights Under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change provides a comprehensive review of how human rights have been addressed under the UNFCCC to date. It compiles human rights references in formal outcomes of the negotiating process and in the work of subsidiary bodies, as well as maps additional … Read More.
Report from the Madrid Climate Conference / COP-25: Promoting Human Rights in Climate Action at the COP-25 (January 2020) – 6 pages This report from the 2020 UN Climate Conference (COP-25 in Madrid) provides a short overview of the climate talks with a focus on agenda items most relevant to the protection and promotion of … Read More.
Even though Indigenous Peoples contribute little to greenhouse gas emissions, owing to their dependence upon and close relationship with the environment and its resources, they are among the first to face the direct consequences of climate change in all areas of the world. To make matters worse, climate policies often further undermine the rights of … Read More.
(Español abajo) Authorized to Steal: Organized Crime Networks Launder Illegal Timber from the Peruvian Amazon reveals the extent to which public officials systematically enable criminal networks to illegally harvest timber in Peru. It identifies by name 34 Peruvian government officials who have been complicit in laundering timber from harvest to sale. In addition, it elaborates … Read More.
Inclusive and sustainable development requires an environment where all people are free to express their views, to exercise their rights, and to fully participate in the decisions impacting their lives and their communities. Every day, indigenous peoples, communities, social movements, journalists, and individuals are doing essential work protecting their lands and resources from destruction, fighting … Read More.
Amidst growing concern about the impacts of plastic on the oceans, ecosystems, and human health, there’s another largely hidden dimension of the plastic crisis: plastic’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Plastic & Climate: The Hidden Costs of a Plastic Planet examines each of these stages of the plastic life cycle to … Read More.
During the last couple of decades—and particularly during the last ten years—mining companies have filed dozens of claims against Latin American countries before international arbitration panels, demanding compensation for court decisions, public policies and other government measures that they claim reduce the value of their investments. In a majority of these cases, the communities most … Read More.
As governments and intergovernmental organizations have recognized, climate change has adverse impacts on a wide range of human rights. Consequently, existing human rights obligations defined under legally binding treaties must inform climate action. These obligations require that climate policies and measures effectively protect the rights of those most affected by climate impacts. They also require … Read More.
Despite being one of the most pervasive materials on the planet, plastic and its impact on human health is poorly understood. Human exposure to it grows with increasing plastic production and use. Research into the human health impacts of plastic to date has focused narrowly on specific moments in the plastic life cycle, from wellhead … Read More.
Fuel to the Fire: How Geoengineering Threatens to Entrench Fossil Fuels and Accelerate the Climate Crisis investigates the early, ongoing, and often surprising role of the fossil fuel industry in developing, patenting, and promoting key geoengineering technologies. It examines how the most heavily promoted strategies for carbon dioxide removal and solar radiation modification depend on … Read More.
Promoting Public Participation in Climate Policies: Opportunities at the Katowice Climate Conference (COP24) This briefing note addresses the importance of access to information and public participation for effective climate policies. It provides an overview of opportunities for parties to the Paris Agreement to enhance public participation and access to information in climate policies during COP-24. … Read More.
Read thought starter: here. Add your organizational endorsement for this thought starter: here. Read list of current sign ons: here.
Even though Indigenous Peoples contribute little to greenhouse gas emissions, owing to their dependence upon and close relationship with the environment and its resources, they are among the first to face the direct consequences of climate change in all areas of the world. To make matters worse, climate policies often further undermine the rights of … Read More.
Showcasing that Climate Action should be Human Rights-Based The Talanoa Dialogue on Climate Ambition organized throughout 2018 in the context of the UN climate negotiations offers a significant opportunity for all stakeholders, including National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs), to frame climate ambition and action in the context of human rights and the principles reaffirmed by … Read More.
Incorporating Human Rights in the Implementation Guidelines of the Paris Agreement The Paris Agreement of 2015 represents a significant step for the promotion of human rights-based and people-centered climate policies. Critical to this are the implementation guidelines for the Paris Agreement, which are currently being drafted and are planned to be adopted at COP-24 in December 2018. The … Read More.
Recognizing plastic pollution as a serious and rapidly growing issue of concern that requires an urgent global response, both the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA) and 2017 UN Oceans Conference have set into motion enhanced global action on ocean plastics. At the UNEA3 meeting in December 2017, States formed an Ad-Hoc Open-Ended Expert Group (AHOEEG) to present … Read More.
On March 6, 2018, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) handed down its landmark ruling in Achmea. The ECJ found an arbitration clause in an international investment agreement between two European Union (EU) Member States incompatible with EU law. According to a joint analysis by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and ClientEarth, the … Read More.
CIEL’s analysis of a massive new trove of Shell internal documents unearthed by Dutch journalist Jelmer Mommers shows the global oil giant understood and acted on climate science while publicly sowing doubt as to its validity and fighting its regulation. The analysis, A Crack in the Shell: New Documents Expose a Hidden Climate History, details … Read More.
Launched on September 20th, 2017, Fueling Plastics, an ongoing investigative series, examining the deep linkages between the fossil fuels and plastics industries and the products they produce, and exposing how the US shale gas boom fuels a massive buildout of plastics infrastructure in the United States and beyond. In the wake of Hurricane Harvey, and … Read More.
In support of the inquiry by the Philippines Human Rights Commission into whether 47 companies’ contributions to climate change violated Filipinos’ human rights, a group of scientific, human rights, and legal experts from around the world has submitted a Joint Summary of the Amicus Curiae Briefs. The hearing comes as many of these companies face … Read More.
The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is designed to facilitate the unfettered expansion of trade between the EU and Canada, including by limiting the regulatory burden for companies in both jurisdictions. This means harmonizing regulations, which historically has meant reducing them to the lowest common denominator; reducing the discretion regulators have to tailor … Read More.
As governments and intergovernmental organizations have recognized, climate change has adverse impacts on a wide range of human rights. Existing human rights obligations defined under legally binding treaties must consequently inform climate action. These obligations require that climate policies and measures effectively protect the rights of those most affected by climate impacts. They can also … Read More.
The European Commission proposal for a global investor court for investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) – known as the Multilateral Investment Court – threatens to enshrine, expand, and entrench the current system of corporate privilege in future trade deals. A world court for corporations would be the capstone in the architecture of corporate impunity, undermining democratic … Read More.
(Español abajo) “Continuous Improvement” in Illegal Practices in the Peruvian Forest Sector reveals that actors are exporting higher levels of timber of dubious legal origin to markets that don’t prohibit the entry of illegal timber, such as China and Mexico, suggesting that Peruvian exporters may know their products to be illegal at the time of export. Based … Read More.
Smoke and Fumes: The Legal and Evidentiary Basis for Holding Big Oil Accountable for the Climate Crisis presents a comprehensive synthesis of the available evidence on what the oil industry knew about climate science, when they knew it, and what they did with the information. It combines that synthesis with an update on the latest … Read More.
The project Upholding Human Rights: Bridging the Gender-Environment Divide (2014–2017), funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, set out to achieve recognition and effective protection of women’s human right to water, food, and a healthy environment in India, Kenya, and South Africa. The following publications are part of a joint project with Both ENDS … Read More.
The EU-Canada Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) is an agreement between the EU, its Member States, and Canada. The European Commission, Council of Ministers, and European Parliament have formally approved the agreement, and once Canada has ratified CETA according to its domestic procedures and notified the EU, most of the agreement will be provisionally applied. … Read More.
Recommendations for the Negotiations of the Paris Rule Book (Español abajo) (En français ci-dessous) The adoption and the rapid entry into force of the Paris Agreement constituted a significant step towards a global response to the climate crisis. The Paris Agreement establishes the first international framework that commits states to take steps to keep temperature … Read More.
ANALYSIS OF OECD SUBSTANCE TESTING PROGRAMME NANOMATERIALS DOSSIERS The Sponsorship Testing Programme of the Working Party on Manufactured Nanomaterials (WPMN) of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) started in 2007 with the aim to test a selection of 13 representative nanomaterials for many endpoints. The main objectives of the programme were to better … Read More.
January 18, 2017 The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) and the Vermont Law School Center for Applied Human Rights presented this amicus curiae brief to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights regarding the Republic of Colombia’s request for an advisory opinion in relation to the interpretation of Articles 1(1), 4(1) and 5(1) of the American … Read More.
NGO demands for adequate EU governance of nanomaterials Civil society organisations renew calls for more public policy regulating human health and environmental safety of nanomaterials. The European Commission’s continuing resistance to the development of a clear regulatory framework hampers the safe use and development of nanomaterials. These materials still cannot have their hazard profiles and … Read More.
Trillion Dollar Transformation is a collaborative initiative by Mercer and the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) which seeks to educate pension fund fiduciaries on the financial and legal challenges climate change presents, and equip them with the information and tools to respond. Mercer’s economic analysis demonstrates that, regardless of the response scenario, climate change … Read More.
This fact sheet provides an overview of the existing risk assessment procedures for manufactured nanomaterials as well as details and comments on the most relevant on-going developments. The increasing amounts of products that contain nanomaterials give rise to concerns regarding their human health and environmental safety. Due to their small size, nanomaterials exhibit very specific … Read More.
In a written submission to the Day of General Discussion on Environment at the Committee on the Rights of the Child (the Committee), CIEL urges the Committee to articulate the right of the child to a healthy environment as implied in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The Committee’s articulation of the Right of … Read More.
América Latina es con creces la región más peligrosa del mundo para los defensores y defensoras de los derechos humanos ambientales. La falta de garantías efectivas de protección de los derechos humanos en los Estados latinoamericanos ha creado esta terrible situación. La ausencia de salvaguardias efectivas se ve agravada por la fragilidad del Estado de … Read More.
Latin America is, by far, the most dangerous region of the world for environmental human rights defenders (EHRDs). The lack of effective guarantees of human rights protection in Latin American States has created this dire situation. The absence of effective safeguards is worsened by the weak rule of law in most Latin American countries, by … Read More.
In a Resolution adopted in July 2015, the European Parliament made explicit recommendations to European Commission trade negotiators to ensure that negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership did not undermine the ability of European Member states to regulate in the public interest. The present analysis examines the conduct of the negotiations in the ensuing year to determine whether … Read More.
Real development respects human rights and is shaped by the people it is designed to benefit. However, ‘development’ – the way it is currently practised by Development Finance Institutions (DFIs) – in many cases has been associated with the dispossession of land, loss of resources, diminished livelihoods and environmental degradation. Each of the 758 complaints submitted over the past 21 … Read More.
The second workshop organised as part of the nanotechnology project funded by the Villum Foundation and the European Commission was held on the 9th of December 2015 in Brussels. The three-year project is led by ECOS, CIEL and Öko-Institut. Marking the second year of the project, this workshop addressed lifecycle aspects of nanomaterials to an … Read More.
On October 5, 2015, the White House issued a statement by the President on the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement claiming that the TPP “includes the strongest commitments on labor and the environment of any trade agreement in history, and those commitments are enforceable, unlike in past agreements.” This claim itself is unremarkable since proponents of … Read More.
REACH is the primary EU regulation on chemicals to address the health, safety, and environmental risks of substances produced or put on the market in the European Union. REACH and several of its Annexes flesh out the duties that producers and importers, as well as down-stream users, have to submit registration dossiers to the European … Read More.
In conjunction with the ongoing global negotiations of the 4th International Conference on Chemicals Management (ICCM4) organized under the auspices of the United Nations Environment Programme’s Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM), CIEL and Ban Toxics released a series of issue briefs highlighting the human rights implications of six highly toxic pollutants. The issue briefs focus … Read More.
Preempting the Public Interest: How TTIP Will Limit US States’ Public Health and Environmental Protections details how EU proposals for the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) would usurp US states’ authority to regulate toxic chemicals. These proposals would not only curtail states’ efforts to protect the public from toxic exposure, but also threaten any State … Read More.
Global climate change poses the greatest environmental challenge humankind has ever faced. The window for responding to that challenge is closing rapidly; and doing so demands immediate and dramatic action both domestically and internationally. The Customs Bill climate provision would raise new and very real barriers to effective climate action at a time when barriers … Read More.
With over 3,000 investment treaties worldwide and a growing number of investor-state arbitrations, the need and opportunities for bringing community perspectives in investment disputes can only be expected to rise in the coming years. Civil society organisations can play an important role in carrying and strengthening community voices in arbitration processes, by making submissions to … Read More.
(Mis)Calculated Risk and Climate Change – Are Rating Agencies Repeating Credit Crisis Mistakes? demonstrates that by not adequately accounting for climate risks, rating agencies could be repeating the mistakes of the credit crisis where risk was underestimated to the detriment of the global financial system. By not factoring in climate risk, credit rating agencies are assuming … Read More.
Con más de 3,000 tratados de inversión en todo el mundo y un número creciente de arbitrajes entre inversionistas y Estados, resulta previsible que en los próximos años se incremente la necesidad y las oportunidades para hacer llegar las perspectivas de las comunidades a las controversias sobre inversiones. Las organizaciones de la sociedad civil pueden desempeñar … Read More.
Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is an international initiative to mitigate climate change in the forest sector. It is intended to incentivize developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, as well as promote sustainable management of forests, and conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. REDD+ has … Read More.
Climate change is not just an environmental issue, but is fast becoming the greatest human rights challenge of our time. It is an issue of justice and inequality for the millions of people and communities around the world who already are experiencing climate harms. It is also an issue for future generations who will suffer increasingly … Read More.
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is an intergovernmental organization playing a significant role in the regulation of chemicals through its Environment, Health and Safety programme (EHS). The OECD is the place where member states come together to, among other things, agree and validate test guidelines and Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) for chemicals … Read More.
Despite the universality of human rights, many States still interpret their human rights obligations as being applicable only within their own borders. This attempt to limit obligations territorially has led to gaps in human rights protection in various international political processes and a lack of adequate regulation for the protection of human rights. Extraterritorial obligations … Read More.
Stronger, more progressive regulations for the protection of health and the environment are being targeted by industry for elimination under the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). Where stronger laws and standards have been democratically adopted or are even proposed—for hazardous pesticides and other chemicals on only one side of the Atlantic, they have consistently … Read More.
The objectives and focus points of the session were summarised in the following points: Increase the capacity of civil society in understanding the challenges posed by nanomaterials (NMs) in products, including food and food contact materials Discussion of current policy and regulatory priorities Specific technical difficulties to regulate and minimise the risks of NMs Update … Read More.
This factsheet intends to inform interested lay persons who engage in the field of risk governance for nanotechnologies, including standardization, labelling, or regulation in a European context. It reviews currently available knowledge on nano-toxicology, in particular exposure assessment and hazard assessment of engineered nanomaterials (ENM). The factsheet aggregates information gathered from scientific literature and attempts a preliminary interpretation of the … Read More.
Conforme los países de todo el mundo hacen progresos en su preparación para REDD+ (Reducción de Emisiones por Deforestación y Degradación de los Bosques), los gobiernos nacionales pasan apuros para encontrar la manera de respetar y abordar las salvaguardas sociales, medioambientales y de gobernanza necesarias. Deben cumplir con las salvaguardas REDD+ dentro de sus contextos … Read More.
As countries around the world make progress in preparing for REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation), national governments are grappling with how to respect and address the requisite social, environmental and governance safeguards. They must comply with the REDD+ safeguards within their national contexts, while also navigating the various standards attached to multiple … Read More.
La tala ilegal es un problema generalizado y omnipresente en Perú: se estima que la ilegalidad alcanza un nivel de hasta 80% de la madera exportada. La tala ilegal destruye ecosistemas forestales, amenaza la biodiversidad, perjudica a las comunidades que dependen de los bosques y da lugar a graves violaciones de los derechos humanos contra … Read More.
Nanotechnology can generally be described as the synthesis, visualization, configuration and manipulation of atomic to molecular sized particles. This includes the manufacture, use and manipulation of materials at the nano scale. This innovative technology promises technical and economical advantages in diverse fields ranging from medicine, cosmetics and food processing, to energy production and storage, and electronics and textiles. Despite its … Read More.
Peru provides an example of how illegal logging could undermine and in effect nullify REDD+. Without a substantial and competent legal framework in place to control current conditions, REDD+ activities will not be effective. Moreover, if projects move forward without overhauling the policy, legislative, and enforcement framework to prevent illegal logging, there will be significant risks of leakage and reversals, among other safeguards problems, in … Read More.
The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) respectfully submits the following comments regarding the Norwegian Government Pension Fund Global’s (GPFG) investments in coal and petroleum companies. These investments expose Norway to legal, financial, and reputational risks inherent to the fossil fuel sector. Currently, such risks are most intense in the coal sector. Moreover, continued fossil … Read More.
A leaked text for the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) from the European Commission shows that negotiations favor business interests over the protection of citizens’ health and the environment. The leaked “chemicals annex” closely follows the chemical industry’s agenda for TTIP to minimize regulatory differences between the US and the EU. Civil society groups … Read More.
CIEL comments submitted to the European Commission’s public consultation of the Impact Assessment on Possible Measures to Increase Transparency on Nanomaterials on the Market. Read full text.
In May 2014, the European Commission disclosed to the public certain elements of their vision for “regulatory cooperation” between the EU and US on industrial chemicals under TTIP. Like the chemical industry’s proposals from which they originate, the EU’s vision for TTIP in the chemicals sector would obstruct efforts to promote the substitution of harmful … Read More.
Como fuera señalado en escrito de amicus curiae presentado por los amici en la etapa de jurisdicción y aceptado por el Tribunal, los amici son organizaciones miembros de la Mesa Nacional Frente a la Minería Metálica de El Salvador (“La Mesa”), una coalición de organizaciones comunitarias, centros de investigación, y organizaciones ambientales, de derechos humanos … Read More.
There is an urgent need for comprehensive land-use planning planning in order to effectively address emissions from in order to effectively address emissions from the land-use sector. Whether emissions from forests and agriculture are reported together or separately, there is interplay between land-use changes, such as agricultural expansion driving deforestation. Therefore, a global climate agreement … Read More.
In their amicus curiae brief, amici argue that the measures adopted by El Salvador regarding the mining project proposed by Pac Rim Cayman LLC find support on the State’s international obligations on human rights and environment. In particular, human rights obligations relating to the environment require that El Salvador design and apply a legal framework to … Read More.
El propósito de Conozca sus Derechos Frente a REDD+: Una guía para líderes de comunidades locales y pueblos indígenas (“Mi Guía”) es que usted cuente con la información necesaria sobre los derechos humanos para la defensa de los derechos de sus comunidades locales y pueblos indígenas en el contexto de la Reducción de Emisiones por … Read More.
The potential overall impact of nanotechnologies on society has been heralded as being on- par with the industrial revolution, and few technologies have triggered as many comments, hopes, fears, and radical statements as nanotechnology. Nanoscience and nanotechnologies are revolutionizing our understanding of matter and are likely to have profound implications for all sectors of society. … Read More.
Know Your Rights Related to REDD+ (My Guide) provides fundamental information about human rights that you can use to defend the rights of communities and indigenous peoples in confronting issues related to Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) initiatives. It is also relevant in the context of other forest governance initiatives, such as … Read More.
Industry proposals to implement more stringent standards on data protection and confidential business information through the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) negotiations would limit access to data and information, adversely affecting efforts to improve public health, consumer safety and the environment. In the case of hazardous chemicals, inventors need access to information about chemical … Read More.
Slides from a presentation about ForestDefender, a legal database that provides a snapshot of international human rights and obligations relevant to forest governance. It captures the large amount of information found from various sources and presents it in a way that is easily accessible to and usable by lawyers, activists and community members alike. See full … Read More.
All around the world, nanotechnology is being promoted as a technological revolution that will help solve an array of problems. According to the current hype, nanotechnology promises to provide new ways of solving some of the Asia-Pacific Region’s chronic challenges, such as treating tuberculosis and malaria, making water drinkable, conserving food, and diversifying energy sources, … Read More.
At the recent meeting in Bali, the Green Climate Fund’s Board instructed the Secretariat to further develop the accreditation system and safeguard standards for discussion in the May 2014 Board meeting and inputs were requested from civil society. This submission provides some initial commentary on the progress report, the accreditation system and the proposed environmental … Read More.
The Compendium on Human Rights and the Environment takes stock of the normative and jurisprudential developments in the field of human rights and the environment. It describes international instruments that relate to human rights and the environment, such as multilateral environmental agreements, international human rights treaties, and international resolutions and declarations. Read full text.
An unprecedented trade agreement is being negotiated between the European Union (EU) and the United States (US). The proclaimed aim of the proposed Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) is to increase trade between the two trading blocs through the minimization of technical barriers to trade (TBTs). According to economic estimates used by the European … Read More.
A proteção da população contra produtos químicos tóxicos exige a intervenção do Estado. Os impactos na saúde pública associados a produtos químicos tóxicos — cancro, asma, obesidade, diabetes, problemas de conceção e de manutenção da gravidez e muitos outros — cifram-se, numa estimativa prudente, em centenas de milhares de milhões de euros por ano, suportados, … Read More.
La protection du public contre les produits chimiques toxiques nécessite une action gouvernementale forte. Selon des estimations prudentes individus et les finances publiques, pas par les fabricants. Contrairement à la faiblesse du système de gestion des produits chimiques du gouvernement fédéral des États-Unis, l’Union européenne (UE) a commencé à mettre en œuvre des politiques relativement plus sévères sur … Read More.
Protecting the public from toxic chemicals requires government action. The vast majority of tens of thousands of chemical used in the United States (US) do not have adequate safety information. For example, less than 2 % of chemicals on the market have actually been tested for carcinogenicity. And for the several hundred with unquestionable data … Read More.
The Movimiento 10 de Abril para Defensa del Rio Tabasará (M10), the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA), the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), and Earthjustice respectfully submit this urgent appeal to United Nations Special Procedures on behalf of members of the indigenous Ngöbe community who imminently face forced eviction from their land due … Read More.
Protecting the public from toxic chemicals requires government action. The public health impacts linked to toxic chemicals—e.g. cancer, asthma, obesity, diabetes, difficulty conceiving and maintaining pregnancy, and many others—are conservatively estimated to cost the public, governments and businesses hundreds of billions of Euros per year, which is almost entirely borne by individuals and public resources, … Read More.
The following is a summary report from the Warsaw Dialogue, which provided an opportunity for participants with diverse perspectives on climate‐induced displacement and relocation to share their knowledge and expertise. The workshop was part of a larger initiative on climate change and community‐based relocation, which is part of the Many Strong Voices (MSV) Programme. The … Read More.
This briefing paper analyzes key human rights issues addressed during the negotiations and in the decisions adopted at COP19 in Warsaw, Poland. Members of the Human Rights & Climate Change Working Group contributed to this paper, focusing in particular on: ambition (shortterm mitigation); Clean Development Mechanism (CDM); gender; Green Climate Fund (GCF); public participation; and … Read More.
The term “human rights defenders” refers to women and men, who, individually or in association with others, act for the promotion and protection of others’ universally recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms, in conformity with universal and international human rights instruments. It encompasses both professional and non-professional individuals, groups and associations, who advocate for civil … Read More.
The undersigned organizations are writing to express our opposition to the inclusion of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) in the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP). ISDS grants foreign corporations the right to go before private trade tribunals and directly challenge government policies and actions that corporations allege reduce the value of their investments. Even if … Read More.
This is the first in a series of updates from CIEL on negotiations towards a potential trade and investment agreement between the EU and U.S. This edition provides a general overview of progress to date, as well as a survey of key health and environmental issues that have been raised. Future editions will focus on … Read More.
The current system for regulation of chemicals is wholly inadequate to meet the challenges posed by the modern chemicals economy. Cancer rates have increased. The amounts of chemicals in our bodies have increased. Absent greater regulatory action, they will continue to increase. This is an international public health problem that remains unsolved. Public health is … Read More.
In July 2013, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) adopted a package of rules aiming to ensure transparency in investor-State arbitration (the “Rules on Transparency”), ratifying the work done by delegations to UNCITRAL—comprised of 55 Member States, additional observer States and observer organizations—over the course of nearly three years of negotiations. … Read More.
As set forth in its proposed Environmental and Social Policy, the Adaptation Fund Board aims to establish policies and processes that, if effectively implemented, will help: prevent environmental, social and human harm; promote sustainable development; maximize participation, transparency, and accountability; and ensure consistency across projects. Once finalized, the Environmental and Social Policy should be incorporated into the … Read More.
To protect the environmental health and safety of consumers, workers and children around the world, what is needed is not free trade agreements, but better trade agreements. Agreements that see public protection not as a competing goal but the highest goal, and leverage the power of markets to serve the global good. Agreements that enhance … Read More.
Summary of how climate change impacts and response measures are affecting the full and effective enjoyment of human rights; includes a summary of relevant activities and decisions taken at the Human Rights Council, UNFCCC and other policy processes. Increased attention to the human dimensions of climate change, including in the current negotiations under the UN … Read More.
The UN is exploring how to bring together the various global chemical treaties, but the pace of change is too slow. For the first time, the Conferences of the Parties to three principal treaties for chemicals management met in back-to-back sessions from 26 April to 10 May in Geneva. This “extraordinary” meeting of the parties … Read More.
Throughout the REDD+ negotiations, Parties have dedicated much time and attention to both the local and national drivers of deforestation, while international and transboundary drivers, though equally significant, have received far less attention. Some Parties continue to argue that the UNFCCC cannot tackle drivers because that would interfere with trade regulations under the World Trade … Read More.
Without taking further time to re-state our written comments provided on May 10, 2013 together with ClientEarth, CIEL wishes to address certain issues in other submissions that relate to the regulation of the chemical industry, transparency, and public participation. My comments today are directed towards why calls for “enhanced regulatory cooperation” on chemicals regulation between … Read More.
Paths to Global Chemical Safety: The 2020 Goal and Beyond analyzes global agreements for chemical safety with a special focus on SAICM and the three legally binding treaties—the Basel Convention, the Rotterdam Convention, and the Stockholm Convention. The very recent conclusion of negotiations over a treaty for mercury impeded detailed consideration of this instrument. This … Read More.
Are innovation and the law at odds? A closer look shows that stronger laws for the management of hazardous chemicals help to drive innovation in chemical and product sectors. Innovation is especially relevant today as the US$ 4.1 trillion (3.1 trillion euro) global chemical industry faces increasing pressure from consumers, retailers, and investors demanding safer … Read More.
Overall, the outcomes from Doha demonstrate, yet again, a failure of political will to take the urgent action that is needed to solve the climate crisis. In addition, human rights are not directly reflected in the Doha decisions despite the fact that the issues discussed and the decisions made impact the lives and livelihoods of … Read More.
Over the past several years, the human rights implications of climate change have become more evident. While extreme weather events and slow onset changes caused by climate change affect the exercise of human rights, the implementation of climate change policies – in relation to both mitigation and adaptation – may also lead to the infringement … Read More.
In response to the call for information, views and proposals on the Durban Platform Work Plan, the Human Rights & Climate Change Working Group, Center for International Environmental Law, Earthjustice, Foundation for GAIA, Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA), Planetary Association for Clean Energy, and World Council of Churches respectfully make the following submission. This … Read More.