HE the Vice President and Secretary-General of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), Dr Ali bin Smaikh al-Marri, has called for taking decisive measures to mitigate the effects of climate change.
He pointed out that climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing the world, and said: “For many years, we, as a society, have neglected this planet in which we live, and today the seriousness and magnitude of this phenomenon (climate change) has become evident.”
In a speech on the closing day of the annual meetings of the GANHRI, which discussed “Climate Change: The Role of National Human Rights Institutions”, he said the phenomenon of climate change affects human rights in various ways, as it has a direct impact on people’s right to water, health and life.
Dr al-Marri stressed that humanity is mandated to enhance the global response to the threat of climate change. “The international conventions and treaties related to the topic and the 2030 Agenda give us a guide and specifies the obligations of each national human rights institution as well as local and global actors.
“Millions of people have been affected and will suffer in the future in their livelihoods and productive activities, which would force them to migrate, and internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees are only a clear example of this,” he said, emphasising the necessity of examining the reasons behind these patterns of displacement, linking environmental migration with climate change, and developing direct and complementary protection measures.
He said national human rights institutions within their scope of competence are not exempt from this obligation, and said: “We have a commitment to the whole world and the various forms of life in it, and we play a major role in monitoring and reporting on the human rights situation and all forms of violations of international standards and providing advice to governments and parliaments.”
He said: “National human rights institutions can play the role of facilitators and place climate change at the top of national, regional and global agendas, through the fulfilment of political, economic, social and environmental conditions to reduce the vulnerabilities created and fuelled by climate change.”
Dr al-Marri called on the United Nations system, and partners in the United Nations Development Programme, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the United Nations Environment Programme, to support the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions, National Human Rights Institutions and regional networks so that they can grow in strength.”We, as national human rights institutions, address the impacts of human rights on climate change, both individually and collectively,” he said.