National human rights institutions on the front lines of the UN Call to Action for Human Rights: Climate action and the right to a healthy environment

06 October 2021, 0800 to 0915 EDT
Public webinar

Objective

Facilitated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), this webinar is jointly convened with
the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) and the United Nations Office of the
High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). It is co-sponsored by the United Nations Environment
Programme (UNEP), the Permanent Mission of Costa Rica to the United Nations in New York, and the
Universal Rights Group. This webinar is the public session of the TriPartite Partnership to Support
National Human Rights Institutions Annual Review and Partnership Platform Meeting (TPP2021).


This webinar aims at bringing together the UN system, Member States, national human rights
institutions (NHRIs), and other stakeholders to:
⮚ Improve awareness of NHRIs as key agents and accelerators to support the rights of future
generations in the UN Secretary-Generals’ Call to Action for Human Rights
⮚ Explore opportunities to facilitate and support the work of national human rights institutions to
monitor the human rights impacts of climate change
⮚ Share information

Background

The impacts of climate change and increasing inequality across and within countries are undermining
progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, threatening to reverse many of the gains made over the
last decades that have improved people’s lives. This directly and indirectly impacts the full enjoyment of
human rights, including social, economic, and cultural rights as well as civil and political rights.

The UN Secretary-General in his Call to Action for Human Rights outlines that “the climate emergency
threatens the rights and dignity not only of millions of people worldwide but also of people not yet born”
and highlights the rights of future generations and specifically climate justice as a key area of support
from the UN system.

The UN Secretary-General in his Call to Action for Human Rights outlines that “the climate emergency
threatens the rights and dignity not only of millions of people worldwide but also of people not yet born”
and highlights the rights of future generations and specifically climate justice as a key area of support
from the UN system.

National human rights institutions (NHRIs) are on the front lines of monitoring and supporting
rights-based responses to climate change at country level with innovative work ongoing to protect the
right to a healthy environment and play their bridging role to support affected populations. This includes:
monitoring and reporting on the human rights impacts of climate change, advising the State and others
on human rights-based approaches to climate action; supporting communities to participate in
decision-making on climate strategies; assisting victims to seek justice and redress; provide education on
the human rights impacts of climate change and policies and engage businesses and others on their roles
and responsibilities.

This is a public event. Registration is required in advance through the following link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XhM3uYtcRHu9eU8I_st0bw

Spanish, French, and Russian interpretation will be provided.

For further questions please contact Ms. Roqaya Dhaif (Roqaya.dhaif@undp.org) or Ms. Chelsea Shelton
(Chelsea.shelton@undp.org)