Climate induced movement of people – ensuring a human rights based approach

8 June 2017, 9:00 - 10:30, Palais des Nation, Room XXI, Geneva

 Climate change and environmental factors are expected to trigger growing population movements within and across borders. Every year, millions of people are forced to leave their homes due to an increasing intensity of extreme weather events such as floods, tropical storms, droughts, glacier melting, earthquakes and other natural hazards. In addition, climate change has and will continue to have adverse consequences for livelihoods, public health, food security, and water availability, prompting affected communities to leave their homes. Particular efforts are required to protect the human rights of those most vulnerable to climate change and ensure their meaningful participation in climate actions.

This side event aims to outline a human rights based approach to climate induced migration in light of the different international agreements both dealing with migration and climate change. The event preludes the afternoon presentation of the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants to the Council and comes at the margins of currently ongoing negotiation and implementation of international agreements, such as the Global Compacts on Migrations and Refugees, the SDGs as well as the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Speakers

• Ambassador Kahn, Permanent Representative of the Republic of Fiji and main negotiator for the Fiji Presidency of UNFCCC COP23

• Pia Oberoi, Adviser on Migration and Human Rights, OHCHR

• Dina Ionesco, Head of the Migration, Environment and Climate Change Division, IOM

• Sandra Ratjen, Franciscans International

Moderation

• Lucy McKernan, Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

* The GeCCco participants include FES, Earthjustice, CIEL, Franciscans International, Domenicans, Gaia foundation, Brahma Kumari, DOCIP, QUNO, FIAN International, Geneva for Human Rights, GI-ESCR, ATD Fourth World.

Light refreshments will be served from 8:30

 NB: valid UN accreditation for the HRC session is needed to attend the event.