Doha meet stresses rights-based action on climate change

Under the patronage of HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Khalid bin Khalifa bin Abdulaziz al-Thani, the International Conference on Climate Change and Human Rights kicked off Tuesday in Doha with the participation of international organisations and more than 300 experts and stakeholders from different countries around the globe.
Organised by the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), in cooperation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Development Programme (UNDP), League of Arab States, and Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), the two-day conference aims to emphasise the importance of rights-based climate action.
It also aims to highlight good practices relevant to Qatar and other active partners, including governments, the United Nations (UN), civil society organisations and companies, and develop recommendations for strengthening cooperation to support rights-based climate action around the globe, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa region.
During the opening session, which was attended by several ministers and officials from relevant entities in the country, HE Chairperson of NHRC Maryam bint Abdullah al-Attiyah said that the conference provides a valuable opportunity for discussion and exchange of knowledge and experiences, in order to advance and accelerate the pace of dealing with climate change and environmental risks from a human rights perspective.
She pointed out that the conference seeks to propose actions that help to make peace with nature, and to reach tangible recommendations regarding the promotion of human rights-based action on climate change, which could crystalise into the adoption of specific legal obligations that are implementable and may be adopted as a norm and a tool by the international human rights system.
She also noted that a few decisions issued by the International Human Rights Commission (IHRC) explained the importance of adopting a human rights perspective when discussing climate mitigation and adaptation measures.
HE Maryam al-Attiyah expressed hope that the conference would result in recommendations that constitute the Doha programme on human's right to dignified living in relation to climate change, especially that it includes all parties, partners, and stakeholders, whose goal is to examine the opportunity provided by human rights standards to save the planet, and to help the international community fulfill its obligations to achieve zero emissions, considering it a step towards creating a safer, more sustainable and more equitable world for us and future generations.
She warned of the devastating consequences of the climate disaster on our environmental system, and the negative effects on all walks of life, and in all parts of the globe. From floods to famines and hurricanes to the dying rivers of the world - all these phenomena warn of climate change, she added.
HE Maryam al-Attiyah pointed out the exorbitant cost resulting from natural disasters, the most recent of which is the consequences of the devastating earthquake in Turkiye and Syria, questioning the extent of humanity's ability to bear the human cost, and the extent of its readiness for rapid global action in order to avoid it.
She underlined that human activity is what has made nature lose its balance, adding that humans are responsible for building the earth - not destroying it. She called for organised and comprehensive action on the will of reconstruction in order to preserve the planet and restore its balance, expressing that this point is the hope in dealing with the environmental risks and challenges we live in, which represent one of the most serious obstacles to human dignity and the actual enjoyment of their rights and freedoms.
International efforts have not yet lived up to the level of environmental risks and challenges that we are experiencing, despite all the appreciated efforts made in this regard since the adoption of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992, she said, adding that the reason for this may be the omission of these policies to the human rights framework that constitutes the will for reconstruction and solution to the recovery of the planet and saving nature.
In this context, she stressed that - as a proposing force, the national human rights institutions have been able to play an influential and effective role in international efforts to combat climate change and access to climate justice.
The NHRC chief pointed out that the United Nations Human Rights Council resolution on the role of national human rights institutions in relation to climate change was initiated by the GANHRI, adding that the alliance has applied to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) for observer status, to enhance participation in climate talks and decision-making related to climate justice.
She stressed the importance of taking comprehensive measures to combat climate change, warning of the expected possibility that these measures will negatively affect the enjoyment of human rights, such as the loss of job opportunities.
HE Maryam al-Attiyah also noted that there are countries that have followed policies that are inconsistent with their international commitments regarding greenhouse gas reduction, motivated by their aspiration for development and exploitation of natural resources.
In the context of her speech, she addressed NHRC's cooperation with all entities concerned with environmental protection in Qatar, adding that the committee partnered with the state in promoting the most sustainable and effective climate measures and policies, and in monitoring the effects of climate change on human rights.
The chairperson of NHRC affirmed that Qatar has made good strides in its efforts to achieve the climate goals of the Paris Agreement for climate and the goals of sustainable development.
In a related context, she highlighted the great success achieved by Qatar in organising the first football championship (FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022), which was environmentally -friendly and carbon neutral.
The opening session witnessed interventions from the various organisers of the conference, which in turn emphasised the importance of this international event in facing challenges related to preserving human rights in the light of national and global measures related to climate change.