The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Edited News , Press Conferences | OHCHR , WFP
OHCHR Press conference: Human rights in the context of climate change - 24 June 2022
More than 59 million people were internally displaced in 2021 as a consequence mainly related due to climate events. To investigate the plight of people displaced by the impacts of climate change, and to fight for legal protection for them is one of the key tasks of Ian Fry, the first UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and climate change.
“There is a huge number of people, a sort of an intolerable tide of people, moving as a consequence of climate change”, Mr. Fry said when speaking today at a briefing at the United Nations in Geneva. “This is an enormous number of people, and this is higher than the number of people displaced as a consequence of conflict”, he added.
The Special Rapporteur presented yesterday the first-ever report on human rights and climate change at the 50th Session of the UN Human Rights Council. In his report Mr. Fry outlined a six-point plan to address the human rights harms resulting from climate-induced loss and damage.
Mr. Fry mainly expressed worries about people displaced across international borders due to climate change as millions of them have no grounds for seeking asylum under international law. “I am certainly particularly concerned about this issue of people displaced across international borders that are not defined as refugees under the Refugee Convention and therefore fall through the cracks as far as legal protection is concerned”, he said.
The international environmental lawyer whose mandate started last month, also highlighted the many non-economic losses stemming from climate change and its consequences. “Where I come from in the Pacific, people are losing graves as a result of the seas washing away their loved ones”, he said.
Mr. Fry, who fought for least developed countries at the 2015 Paris climate conference, will also look into legislation, litigation and corporate responsibilities during his new mandate over the next three years.
“There are a number of cases being held questioning the role of governments setting targets for climate change, there are court cases against companies so there’ s a variety of litigation that’s before the court at the moment”, he said.
Ian Fry will also look at the fossil fuel industry, itself a major producer of greenhouse gases. He aims to look at their connection on what they are doing on human rights. “This is where businesses, financial institutions are investing in the fossil fuel industry. So, I want to pursue the issue of disclosure around disclosing investments in fossil fuel industry”, he said.
Another important point of his action plan is to address and involve the youth in the discussion around human rights and climate change.
“For our young people who now have an uncertain future, we want to guarantee their future”.
-ends-
- Exterior wide shot, flag alley, UN Geneva.
- Wide shot, UN Geneva Press room, photographer in forefront
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Ian Fry, UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights and Climate change: “There is a huge number of people, a sort of an intolerable tide of people moving as a consequence of climate change”.
- Medium shot, journalists listening
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Ian Fry, UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights and Climate change: “So this is an enormous number of people, and this is higher than the number of people displaced as a consequence of conflict”.
- Zoom up from hands typing to face of journalist
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Ian Fry, UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights and Climate change: “I am certainly particularly concerned about this issue of people displaced across international borders that are not defined as refugees under the Refugee Convention and therefore fall through the cracks as far as legal protection is concerned”.
- Close up, hands writing
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Ian Fry, UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights and Climate change: “Where I come from in the Pacific, people are losing graves as a result of the seas washing away their loved ones”.
- Zoom form laptop to face of journalist
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Ian Fry, UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights and Climate change: “There are a number of cases being held questioning the role of governments setting targets for climate change, there are court cases against companies so there’ s a variety of litigation that’s before the court at the moment”.
- Medium shot, journalist listening
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Ian Fry, UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights and Climate change: “This is where businesses, financial institutions are investing in the fossil fuel industry. So, I want to pursue the issue of disclosure around disclosing investments in fossil fuel industry”.
- Medium shot, journalists listening with screen with speaker
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Ian Fry, UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights and Climate change: “For our young people who now have an uncertain future, we want to guarantee their future”.
- Two shot, journalists listening and typing
- Wide shot, speakers on podium filmed from above
- Close up, journalist
- Wide shot, speaker at podium with journalists listening
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | UNHCR , UNMAS , WHO
Just how many people are still trapped in the Sudanese city of El Fasher?
That’s the burning question for relatives of the many thousands of people believed to still be there, since paramilitary fighters overran the regional capital of North Darfur last month, after a 500-day siege.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At the bi-weekly press briefing in Geneva, UN Human Rights spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan made the following remarks on the ongoing violence in the occupied WestBank.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
At a Special Session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva today, the UN Human Rights Chief, Volker Türk made the following remarks on the situation in El-Fasher, Sudan.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNMAS , UNHCR , IFRC , OHCHR , UNECE , UNDP
Rolando Gómez, Chief of Press and External Outreach, United Nations Information Service Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Mine Action Service, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Health Organization, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, and the International Federation of the Red Cross.
2
1
2
Statements , Conferences , Edited News | HRC
UN Human Rights Council holds special session on Sudan as mass atrocities reported in El Fasher
The UN Human Rights Council convened an emergency session on Friday on the situation in and around El Fasher, Sudan, following reports of mass killings in the North Darfur capital. States passed a resolution that will mandate an investigation into likely mass atrocities during the capture of El Fasher by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on 26 October.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | CITES
Press conference with CITES Secretary-General ahead of 20th World Wildlife Conference.
1
1
2
Edited News | UN WOMEN
Sudan: Women’s bodies ‘a crime scene’ as tens of thousands flee El Fasher atrocities – UN Women
In war-torn Sudan, rape is being systematically used as a weapon and simply being a woman is “a strong predictor” of hunger, violence and death, the UN’s gender equality agency warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UN WOMEN , UNHCR , WFP , UNICEF
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the UN Women, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Children's Fund and the World Health Organization.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | UNEP
Major outcomes of the sixth meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Minamata Convention
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
The UN human rights office (OHCHR) on Friday called for an end to continuing expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, where “unchecked” settler violence has surged since the war in Gaza began more than two years ago.
1
1
1
Edited News | WFP
The crisis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) continues to worsen amid ongoing fighting that has driven tens of thousands of people from their homes and created acute hunger, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) said on Friday.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | OHCHR , UNHCR , UNICEF , WFP , WHO
Alessandra Vellucci, Director, United Nations Information Service Geneva, chaired a hybrid press briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives of the World Food Programme, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Children’s Fund, and the World Health Organization.