For more than 10 years, FIDH has been highlighting the relevance of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the current debate on the climate crisis, the effects of which directly threaten the survival of humanity and the exercise of all fundamental rights for current and future generations
On Monday, September 16, 2019, five UN human rights treaty bodies issued a joint statement calling on states to act in the face of the imminent climate crisis, denouncing that their inaction could violate their obligations under the international human rights law.
Despite this, and although the latest IPCC 1.5 ° C special report on the effects of global warming of 1.5 ° C above pre-industrial levels clearly demonstrates that our window of action to try to curb rising temperatures and so the catastrophic effects for life on earth are steadily decreasing, a huge effort still needs to be made for the general mobilization of all human rights organizations.
This joint statement is an important first step in the development of a common strategy for environmental, social justice and human rights organizations, a strategy that will build on the strengths and history of these three movements.
Read the declaration below :