Where are Human Rights in the Discussion on Climate Change and Human Mobility?

As the climate crisis unfolds, the intersection of climate change, human mobility, and human rights has emerged as a critical area of concern. Impacts of climate change affect the human rights of people around the globe and lead to displacement and migration of an increasing number of people. This has been reflected in a number of institutional processes at different levels, both globally and regionally. On the one hand, human mobility has been discussed under the auspices of the UNFCCC, most visibly in the recent COP decision establishing a Loss & Damage Fund, while also retaining crucial significance for climate finance under mitigation and adaptation measures. On the other hand, multilateral agreements addressing the protection needs of people on the move have also increasingly incorporated climate change as a driver for such movements, including in regions such as Latin America, Africa and the Pacific.

This event, based on previous and ongoing work of FES and its partners and co-organisers, aimed to discuss specific regional manifestations of the links between climate change and human mobility, and the extent to which human rights have been effectively incorporated in these recent institutional responses. This included a look both at the human rights compliance of relevant processes in general, as well as the question of participation of affected communities and civil society to these processes.

Speakers:

• Opening remarks: Renate Tenbusch, Director FES Geneva Office
• Lukmon Akintola, Global Center for Climate Mobility & Member of the African Non-State Actors Platform
• Shakirul Islam, OKUP Bangladesh & Steering Group Member of the Climate, Migration & Displacement Platform
• Eva Tecun, Movimiento de mujeres indigenas Tz' ununija, Guatemala
• Elisa Morgera, Special Rapporteur on Human Rights and Climate Change

Moderator: Christian Wolff, ACT Alliance

Videos of the interventions of Eva Tecun (Spanish), Lukmon Akintola (English) and Shakirul Islam (English). Due to technical issues during the registration of the session, a video for the entire event is not available.