Call for inputs from the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association for his report to be presented at the 76th session of the General Assembly [ohchr.org]

From Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights, April 1, 2021

Background

Climate change is today’s greatest threat to life on earth. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has unequivocally stated that in the absence of effective climate action, the world is on a pathway to temperature increases between 3°C to 5°C by 2100, which would simply devastate humanity’s future. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has warned that “the human implications of currently projected levels of global heating are catastrophic” and threaten the enjoyment of all human rights. Many of the climate change impacts have already been observed, including the increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events, rising sea levels and biodiversity loss. Moreover, climate change impacts are disproportionately affecting marginalized communities and poorer regions and countries.

For decades people around the world have organized in associations, formal and informal, to tackle climate change and support effective and equitable measures that would guard against the dangers of global warming. Such associations have produced and analyzed scientific data; helped shape policies based on their technical expertise; fostered collaboration among key stakeholders; helped communities to adapt to climate change impacts; ensured that the voices of marginalized and at-risk populations are taken into account and shed light on issues affecting these populations, and pushed for urgent action, including by organizing demonstrations and peaceful protests.

But over these years the global community’s response to climate change has been unacceptably slow, with many governments intentionally delaying action or denying climate change altogether. This inaction has triggered a new wave of global activism calling for greater ambition now. While the movement is intergenerational and diverse, women and children; indigenous peoples in both the global North and South, and nonviolent protesters have emerged as a new force for action.

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