HRC 53 - SR on Climate Change - 27 June 2023

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27-06-2023

Statements | OHCHR , UNOG

HRC 53 - SR on Climate Change - 27 June 2023

ENG

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Statement of Ian Fry, Special Rapporteur on climate change at the Human Rights Council 53rd session in Geneva, on 27 of June 2023.

“The effects of climate change are becoming more severe, and the number of people displaced across international borders is rapidly increasing,” said Ian Fry, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the context of climate change.

“In 2020 alone, 30.7 million people were displaced from their homes due to weather-related events. Droughts were the main factor,” Fry said in his latest in his latest thematic report to the Human Rights Council. “We must take immediate steps to give legal protection to these people.”

“The human rights implications of climate change displacement, in particular across international borders, are significant and truly disturbing."

“It is equally shocking to note that more than half of those deaths occurred on routes to and within Europe, including in the Mediterranean Sea."

“The international community must realise its responsibility to protect people displaced across borders by climate change impacts.”

“The Human Rights Council should prepare a resolution for submission to the UN General Assembly urging the body to develop an optional protocol under the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees to address displacement and legal protection for people all over the world affected by the climate crisis."

“Until then, I urge all nations to develop national legislation to provide humanitarian visas for persons displaced across international borders due to climate change, as an interim measure.”

UN expert calls for full legal protection for people displaced by climate change

The Special Rapporteur said that people displaced by climate change face multiple human rights violations including of their rights to food, water, sanitation, housing, health, education and, for some, their right to life.

“The human rights implications of climate change displacement, in particular across international borders, are significant and truly disturbing,” the expert said.

He called it “profoundly worrying” that large numbers of people displaced across borders die or go missing every year at both land and sea borders. More than 50,000 lost their lives during migratory movements between 2014 and 2022, Fry’s report said.

“It is equally shocking to note that more than half of those deaths occurred on routes to and within Europe, including in the Mediterranean Sea,” he said.

According to the Special Rapporteur, displacement due to climate change can result from different types of situations, from sudden to slow progressing events like sea level rise or droughts. Most people affected by these events are forced to move. Women and children being the most impacted by disasters and the effects of climate change, also make up for the majority of displaced people.

“The international community must realise its responsibility to protect people displaced across borders by climate change impacts,” the expert said.

Fry explained that the world was not operating in a total vacuum in terms of legal protection of people displaced due to climate change. He said there were several international human rights safeguards to address the issue.

“Until then, I urge all nations to develop national legislation to provide humanitarian visas for persons displaced across international borders due to climate change, as an interim measure,” he said.

ENDS

Teleprompter

Mr.

President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates, today I'm honoured to present 2 reports to the Human Rights Council, namely A thematic report on climate change, displacement and a country visit report on my visit to Bangladesh.

In the thematic report, I wish to draw attention to the number of people displaced across international borders due to climate change and the subsequent human rights issues these people face.

This is particularly the case for women and children, who make up the majority of displaced people.

The number of people being displaced across international borders is rapidly increasing as the effects of climate change become more severe.

My report highlights the challenges faced by people displaced across international borders and explores the various efforts by being made by national governments, civil society and UN agencies.

To prepare the report, I held extensive consultations with governments, civil society organisations and UN agencies.

In 2020, 30.7 million people were displaced from their homes due to weather related events.

Droughts were the main factor.

People displaced across international borders due to climate change are often called climate change refugees by the popular media.

Although they do not fit the definition of refugee under the 1952 UN Refugee Convention, the notion of displacement is important as it indicates that people have been displaced from their land due to climate change.

The displacement may be due to sudden climate change events, or it may be due to slow progressing climate change events such as drought or sea level rise.

In most cases, people in these circumstances are forced to move, they have little choice and therefore they are displaced.

It is estimated that in 2020, 75% of new displacements from Somalia to Kenya were a result of climate change.

The International Rescue Committee noted that in 2020, two 60,000 Somalis had fled climate change and crossed into Kenya in the Dry Corridor region of Central America, in particular Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

It was noted in 2016 that over 3.5 million people needed humanitarian assistance due to an extended drought, and then in 2022, severe hurricanes caused considerable damage to infrastructure, crops and livestock in Honduras, forcing people to be displaced across international borders.

One representative of civil society organisations based in Latin America indicated that some people were reluctant to identify as people displaced by climate change as they feared they would not be given refugee status.

The human rights implication of climate change displacement, in particular for persons displaced across international borders due to climate change, are significant and disturbing.

People displaced by climate change face multiple violations of their human rights.

The climate change event may deprive people of their right to food, water, sanitation, housing, health, education and for some, their right to life.

Studies suggest that women and children are the most affected by disasters and the effects of climate change, as they are up to 14 times more likely to be killed than men by climate disasters such as hurricanes, typhoons, cyclones or floods.

The process of moving across international borders is fraught with rights violations.

Large numbers of people displaced across borders die or go missing every year at both land and sea borders.

Between 2014 and 2020, more than 50,000 people lost their lives during migratory movements.

More than half of these deaths occurred on Routes 2 and within Europe, including in the Mediterranean Sea.

As we have recently witnessed, displaced children may be exposed to a variety of risks such as *****, violence, trafficking, exploitation, slavery and other forms of maltreat, maltreatment and human rights violations.

It is now time for the international community realised responsibility to protect people displaced across international borders due to climate change.

We are not operating in a vacuum.

There are a number of international rights treaties that are relevant in protection a person's displaced across climate change.

There are a number of policies and soft law agreements related to a person's displaced across climate change.

Despite these examples, the level of protection given to people displaced across international borders is haphazard and signifies a general lack of uniformity at the international level.

It is vitally important that we give full protection to people displaced across international borders to climate change.

Therefore, I'm suggesting that the Human Rights Council prepare a resolution for submission to the and General Assembly requesting the development of an optional protocol under the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees.

This resolution would define and outline legal protections to people displaced across international borders due to climate change.

As an interim measure, all nations should be encouraged to develop national legislation that provides humanitarian visas for people displaced across international borders due to climate change.

I'm ready to develop a resolution and look forward to favourable considerations of this proposal.

Mr.

President, Excellency's distinguished colleague colleagues, let me now turn my report on my country visit to Bangladesh.

In September last year, I took a country visit to Bangladesh at the invitation of the government to witness first hand some of the drivers of climate change displacement.

During two week visits, I met with various government officials, UN agencies, civil society organisations and indigenous peoples organisations and communities.

I visited the districts of Silette in the north and Kolner in the South.

The primary purpose of my visit was to explore the impacts of climate change on people of Bangladesh.

The visit was time to occur before the 27th session of the Conference of Parties, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

As I I was particularly interested in how Bangladesh suffered from loss and damage and how this could be used an example at the COP to advance the the loss and damage agenda.

It is evident that Bangladesh is highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and this has significant implications on the enjoyment of human rights.

A number of linkages were made between climate change, loss and damage and the implications of human rights.

This includes the right to food, health, housing, water, sanitation, cultural life, education and work.

It is evident that the international response to loss and damage and its inherent rights implications is inadequate.

Nevertheless, the government of Bangladesh is making efforts to protect the people from the ravages of climate change and through the establishment of special funding for disaster recovery and adaptation, the Bangladesh government has built a number of cyclone shelters which have been significant in boosting saving the lives of a vast number of people.

The Bangladesh government has also implemented a number of climate change PO policies.

During my visit, I noted there were domestic issues associated with the right to freedom of expression, particularly around the rights of indigenous peoples who are not recognised in Bangladesh.

While Bangladesh is a relatively low emitting greenhouse gas emissions, these emissions are likely to grow as capital as the country expands its use of coal.

The international community, including Bangladesh, has a responsibility to ensure that the country's future development is on a green energy economy and not based on fossil fuels.

Based on my observations, I suggest that the government should consult more widely on climate change planning.

Adopt clear strategies to assist people displaced by climate change, desist from harassing human rights defenders and indigenous peoples, and develop a clear strategy for renewable energy and energy efficiency.

I wish to thank the government, the UN country team and various civil society organisations for their hospitality and support for my visit.

Thank you, Mr.

President.