Human Rights and Climate Change

A/HRC/RES/47/24View PDF

Who created this mandate?

A Resolution of the Human Rights Council, under agenda item 3Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the right to development, published in 2021.

What other versions does this mandate have?

15 versions · 2008–2025

This is an older version — the most recent is A/HRC/RES/59/25

2025A/HRC/RES/59/25Human rights and climate changeLatestCompare with previous version
2024A/HRC/RES/56/8Human rights and climate changeCompare with previous version
2023A/HRC/RES/53/6Human rights and climate changeCompare with previous version
2022A/HRC/RES/50/9Human rights and climate changeCompare with previous version
2021A/HRC/RES/47/24Human rights and climate changeCompare with previous version

Versions are identified automatically by matching titles within the same organ (~97% accuracy on a manual audit).

What subjects does this mandate have?

6 topics

Climate Change Developing Countries Disaster Preparedness Disaster Prevention Human Rights Socially Disadvantaged Persons

Which reports were submitted under this mandate?

1 report of the Secretary-General submitted under this mandate, 2022.

2022A/HRC/50/57The impacts of climate change on the human rights of people in vulnerable situations report of the Secretary-General

Identified automatically from the metadata in each report’s UN Digital Library catalogue record.

What does this mandate say?

18 operative paragraphs

Expresses concern that climate change has contributed and continues to contribute to the increased frequency and intensity of both sudden-onset natural disasters and slow-onset events, and that these adversely affect the full enjoyment of all human rights;

Emphasizes the urgent importance of continuing to address, as they relate to States’ human rights obligations, the adverse consequences of climate change for all, particularly in developing countries and for the people whose situation is most vulnerable to climate change;

Calls upon States to consider, among other aspects, human rights within the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change;

Calls upon all States to adopt a comprehensive, integrated, gender-responsive, age-inclusive and disability-inclusive approach to climate change adaptation and mitigation policies, consistent with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the objective and principles thereof, to address efficiently the economic, cultural and social impact and human rights challenges that climate change presents, for the full and effective enjoyment of human rights for all, and particularly to support the resilience and adaptive capacities of people in vulnerable situations, both in rural and urban areas, to respond to the adverse impact of climate change;

Calls upon States to enhance international cooperation and assistance, in particular in financing, the transfer of technology and capacity-building, for mitigation and adaptation measures to assist developing countries, especially those that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change;

Also calls upon States to better promote the human rights of people in vulnerable situations and their access to livelihoods, food and nutrition, safe drinking water and sanitation, social protection, health-care services and medicines, education and training, adequate housing and decent work, clean energy, science and technology, and ensure that services can be adapted to emergency and humanitarian contexts;

Further calls upon States to develop, strengthen and implement policies for the protection of the right of people in vulnerable situations in response to climate change, as appropriate, by, among other actions, the inclusion of their rights, specific risks, needs and capabilities in climate action plans and other relevant policies or legislation, the mainstreaming of climate change action into resilient and adaptive social and health care, and the provision of information on climate change and disaster preparedness response and planning through all accessible means of communication;

Urges States to strengthen and implement policies aimed at promoting the meaningful participation of people in vulnerable situations in the design of policies, plans and mechanisms in climate-related decision-making and disaster risk reduction and management at the community, local, national, regional and international levels, including for preparedness, contingency planning, early warning, evacuation planning, emergency relief, humanitarian response and assistance arrangements;

Reaffirms its commitment to advocate for combating climate change and addressing its adverse impact on the full and effective enjoyment of human rights, and recognizes the importance of climate action in the work of the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms in a regular, systematic and transparent manner;

Decides to incorporate into its programme of work for the fiftieth session, on the basis of the different elements contained in the present resolution, a panel discussion focusing on the adverse impact of climate change on the full and effective enjoyment of human rights by people in vulnerable situations, and best practices and lessons learned in the promotion and protection of the rights of people in vulnerable situations, and also decides that the panel discussion will have international sign interpretation and captioning;

Also decides to incorporate into its annual programme of work, beginning in 2023, sufficient time, at a minimum a panel discussion, to discuss different specific themes on the adverse impacts of climate change on human rights, and further decides that the panel discussion will have international sign interpretation and captioning;

Invites the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, within their respective mandates, and other relevant stakeholders with appropriate expertise, including academic experts, and civil society organizations to contribute actively to the panel discussion;

Requests the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to submit a summary report on the panel discussion to the Human Rights Council at its fifty-second session, and to make the report available in accessible formats, including in plain language and easy-to-read versions;

Requests the Secretary-General, in consultation with and taking into account the views of States, the special procedures of the Human Rights Council, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, the World Meteorological Organization and other relevant international organizations and intergovernmental bodies, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and other stakeholders, to submit to the Human Rights Council at its fiftieth session a report on the adverse impact of climate change on the full and effective enjoyment of human rights of people in vulnerable situations, and also requests the Secretary-General to make the report available in accessible formats, including plain language and easy-to-read versions;

Encourages the continued discussions among States and relevant stakeholders on the possible creation of a new special procedure addressing the adverse impact of climate change on the full and effective enjoyment of human rights;

Encourages relevant special procedure mandate holders to continue to consider the issue of climate change and human rights, including the adverse impact of climate change on the full and effective enjoyment of human rights, particularly the rights of people in vulnerable situations, within their respective mandates;

Requests the Secretary-General and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide all the human and technical assistance necessary for the effective and timely realization of the above-mentioned panel discussion and the summary report thereon;

Decides to remain seized of the matter.

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Who created this mandate?

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What does this mandate say?

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