Our ED Magdalena Sepúlveda participated in SRN Climate Law Workshop

The workshop: “Justice for the voiceless: Human rights of future generations in climate change law” aimed to unfold the complexity of legal understandings and approaches to the concept of human rights of future generations while considering the responsibility and struggles of current generations to respect and fulfil these rights.

Context

The exacerbation of climate change impacts has led to increased interest in the human rights of future generations. However, this notion of ‘human rights of future generations’ is not unequivocal; it holds a diversity of meanings and interpretations in policies and in different jurisdictions: it entails intergenerational justice; the responsibility of current generations, particularly decision-makers, to ensure the enjoyment of a sustainable quality of the climate for those yet unborn; who can legitimately represent future generations (children; indigenous peoples; women, etc.) and whether children are also identified in policy as representatives of future generations. Moreover, trends in litigation suggest an appeal to human rights that allows stakeholders traditionally excluded from decision making to raise concerns, on behalf of ‘the voiceless’ future generations too, in a judicial forum.

Our ED participated in the panel: The rights of future generations in climate change litigation – a global overview, specifically discussing advancing the Human Rights of future generations - Draft Guidelines of Human Rights of Future Generations.