In celebration of 75 years of Human Rights, this event will explore how human rights, including the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, can reshape how States, businesses, people and courts address climate change, climate action and their impacts to achieve transformative change. (300 characters) 

In celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and in line with findings of IPCC’s 6th Assessment Report and the Agreed Conclusions of the 66th Session of the Commission on Status of Women, the event will explore how rights-based and gender-responsive approaches, including in climate litigation, lead to more effective and sustainable climate action. 

The event will highlight recent outcomes of intergovernmental processes regarding human rights and climate change. It will examine how human rights connections are increasingly made in most climate cases, resulting in empowering marginalised communities, as outlined in UNEP’s 2023 Global Climate Litigation Report. The event will further: launch a new UN initiative on human rights and civic space in climate negotiations, human rights climate commitments under the Human Rights 75 campaign, and Key Messages on human rights and loss and damage; feature the General Comment of the Committee on the Rights of the Child on children’s rights and the environment, focused on climate change; highlight the rights impacts of illegal, unregulated and harmful trade and exploitation of natural resources; and address UN system efforts related to protection of environmental human rights defenders, equity in climate action, and inclusivity in climate decision-making (including participation of women, children, youth, Indigenous Peoples, migrants and others in vulnerable situations), as well as the importance of a human rights economy for a just transition, climate finance and effective action.

Speakers:

• High-level representatives of States
• Indigenous Peoples
• Civil Society
• Environmental Human Rights Defenders
• Businesses and IGOs selected to represent a diversity of lived experiences and expertise

Please find more information and events on the COP28 page here.