Moderator: Mr. Danang Nizar, Programme Officer of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute 

Panelists: 

• Ms. Paula Gaviria Betancur, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons  
• Mr. Atle Solberg, Head of Secretariat, Platform on Disaster Displacement 
• Dr. Erica Bower, Researcher, Stanford University & Human Rights Watch

As the adverse effects of climate change continue to increase in frequency and intensity, a growing number of places are being rendered uninhabitable, exposing communities to both economic and non-economic losses and damages. Within this context, planned relocations, i.e. processes in which groups of persons collectively settle in a new and safer location and are provided with the conditions for rebuilding their lives, is gaining increasing attention.  

Planned relocation is generally conceptualized as a measure of last resort and has raised challenges for the effective enjoyment of human rights, with disproportionate impacts on vulnerable groups. Key challenges include the limited consultation and leadership of affected communities,  implementation of policy frameworks, and insufficient data and finance. To address these challenges, planned relocation must be anchored in a human rights-based approach. Such an approach is essential to ensuring that planned relocations support sustainable development and climate action, and enable communities to rebuild their lives in safer areas with full protection of their rights.  

This event will bring together a range of stakeholders to discuss challenges and opportunities for rights-based planned relocation in climate change contexts.