UN Human Rights Chief appeals to climate negotiators in Paris

NEW YORK (9 December 2015)  Speaking on the eve of Human Rights Day in New York, High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein appealed to negotiators putting the final touches on a climate agreement in Paris to not lose important human rights language in the rush to finalize the agreement. Focusing in particular on the much-debated Article 2, which defines the purposes of the agreement, Zeid said “I urge delegations in Paris to be bold and principled, to set a ceiling of global average temperature increase at 1.5°C, and to retain strong language requiring that the agreement be implemented ‘on the basis of respect for human rights.” A draft text released by the COP21 conference in Paris late on Wednesday included such language, but with multiple ‘square brackets’, indicating that it was still under debate. Zeid added that groups on the front lines of the climate crisis, and those most vulnerable, should be given explicit protection in the agreement. “Indigenous peoples, migrants, older persons, minorities, children, persons with disabilities, those living under occupation, women and girls—all need and deserve dedicated attention”, said the High Commissioner.

ENDS

For more information, please contact Benjamin Schachter  (+41 79 109 6873 / bschachter@ohchr.org).

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