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Press Release: The Great Eight Action

Bonn, 4 May 2018, SB48, UNFCCC

07.05.2018 |



Download the press release here

A cross-constituency action, related to the campaign of the Human Rights & Climate Change Working Group. Together we are advocating to integrate the human rights aspects of the preamble into the Paris Agreement work programme (“Paris Rulebook”). The 8 fundamental elements are: human rights, public participation, indigenous people's rights, just transition, gender, food security, ecosystem integrity and protection of biodiversity, and intergenerational equity. It will be a lively and interactive action, with a short speech. While forming a human pyramid in the corridors of climate negotiations, we will show that if you leave one out, the rulebook will crumble.

 

When

4 May 2018

at 12:00 (noon)

 

Where

WCCB, Ground floor, next to elevators near the cafeteria, Bonn

 

Who

The Human Rights & Climate Change Working Group, action is led by Women & Gender Constituency. 

 

Why

As we are on the road to COP24 (climate negotiations), that will take place in Katowice, Poland, later this year, decision-makers and civil society are currently in Bonn for the in-session meeting of the UNFCCC’s Conference of Parties (COP). The preamble of the Paris Agreement states “Parties should, when taking action to address climate change, respect, promote and consider their respective obligations on human rights, the right to health, the rights of indigenous peoples, local communities, migrants, children, persons with disabilities and people in vulnerable situations and the right to development, as well as gender equality, empowerment of women and intergenerational equity.” The reference to human rights was a monumental achievement of the Human Rights & Climate Change Working Group.

“At COP21, Parties committed to apply their respective rights-related obligations to their climate actions. This is monumental as literally all Parties to the UNFCCC are signatories to at least one international convention on human rights. Now that Parties are focusing on developing the Rulebook of the Paris Agreement which will have a long-term and decisive impact on the implementation of the Agreement, ECO would like to encourage them to reflect the full vision agreed on in Paris.” says Fanny Petibon, Care France.

The group is now working to ensure these 8 important elements are integrated into the rulebook governing implementation of the Paris Agreement. People need to be at the center of climate action, you cannot produce effective policies about us, without us. This is why these elements need to be included in the Rulebook. Climate action must respect, protect, and promote human rights and should be measured not only quantitatively, but qualitatively. 

The Parties demonstrated commitment to human rights in the Paris Agreement and now need to ensure that it, along with the other aspects of the Agreement, are fully reflected in the guidelines. The backbone of the Rulebook, the guidelines on NDCs should include the following 8 elements: 

  • Public participation
  • Indigenous peoples and local communities 
  • Just transition 
  • Gender 
  • Human rights 
  • Food security 
  • Ensuring ecosystem integrity and the protection of biodiversity 
  • Intergenerational equity  

 

Hashtags

  • #APA4Rights
  • #Great8
  • #SB48Bonn

About the Working Group on Human Rights 

The Human Rights and Climate Change Working Group advocates for climate policies that effectively promote and respect human rights.” I could get more but it might take a bit longer. Is a coalition of indigenous peoples and civil society, from trade unions, young people to women’s rights advocates, formed before the climate negotiations in Paris (COP21).

 

About WGC

The Women and Gender Constituency (WGC) is one of the nine stakeholder groups of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Established in 2009, the WGC now consists of 27 women’s and environmental civil society organizations, which are working to ensure that women’s voices and their rights are embedded in all processes and results of the UNFCCC framework, for a sustainable and just future, so that gender equality and women’s human rights are central to the ongoing discussions. As the WGC represents the voices of hundreds and thousands of people across the globe, members of the Constituency are present at each UNFCCC meeting and intersessional alongside the UNFCCC Secretariat, governments, civil society observers, and other stakeholders to ensure that women’s rights and gender justice are core elements of the UNFCCC. In this action the constituency is joined by other stakeholders committed to advancing women’s human rights, peace and climate justice.  http://womengenderclimate.org

 

MEDIA ADVISORY

Hanna Gunnarsson

hanna.gunnarsson@wecf.org

 


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