WEBINAR REPORT
Multilateral Approach to Climate Human Rights
and the Declaration of Peace and Cessation of War (DPCW)
Date and Time: Thursday, February 1st, 2024, 13:30-15:30 (UTC)
Location: Online (Zoom)
Topics: Multilateral Approach to Climate Human Rights
Host: HWPL Global 03 Branch
Language: English, Portuguese
Participants: 76 People from India, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sao tome and Principe, Marshall Islands, Philippines, Afghanistan, Pakistan (8 countries)
Guest of Honour & Speaker:
1) Hon Dr. Kamal Hossain, HWPL International Law Peace Committee (ILPC) & 1st Law Minister of Bangladesh & Former Vice-President of International Law Association (ILA) of Bangladesh Branch, Bangladesh
2) H.E. Ms. Aminath Shauna, Former Minister of Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology. Maldives
3) Hon. Hiroshi Yamamura, Former Minister of Public Works and Current Senator of Utrok Atoll in the Marshall Islands
4) Mr. Sunil Zode, Chairman of Indian chamber of commerce for Affirmative Action (ICCAA) & National council for Legal awareness, India
5) Prof. (Dr.) Md Abdul Awal Khan, Department of Law, Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), Bangladesh
6) Prof. (Dr.) Sairam Bhat, Professor of Law, National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, India & Coordinator, Centre for Environmental Law Education, Research and Advocacy (CEERA)
7) Uza. Ihusana Hamid, Lawyer of Maldives
< Profile of Speakers >
< Webinar hosting and watching video of Webinar’s Purpose session >
“Our collective effort to reduce greenhouse gas by 2030 to limit temperature to 1.5 degrees. this is the only way for us to avoid a global humanitarian crisis. Climate change does not discriminate geographical boundaries. We all feel its impacts every single day. We must treat it like the emergency it is.”
– H.E. Ms. Aminath Shauna, Former Minister of Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, Maldives“We don’t have any mountains all of them are at faults. And these are the things that we encounter up to this date. As for the climate change, everybody knows and it’s all similar and under the compact if the sea level rise happened, then maybe most of our population will be migrated.”
– Hon. Hiroshi Yamamura, Former Minister of Public Works and Current Senator of Utrok Atoll in the Marshall Islands“In the face of these challenges, it is imperative for businessmen to adopt a proactive attitude towards climate change. They should prioritize sustainable practices, invest in renewable energy, minimize carbon emissions, and integrate climate resilience into their business strategies.”
– Mr. Sunil Zode, Chairman of Indian chamber of commerce for Affirmative Action (ICCAA) & National council for Legal awareness, India“Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) actually focuses on traditional labor, marginalized groups. that means to ensure equality for the marginalized group people it is one of the major challenges. So these are the core human rights based approach elements.”
– Dr. Md. Abdul Awal Khan, Professor, Department of Law, Independent University, Bangladesh (IUB), Bangladesh“climate change is not a myth let’s face it. We focus on human duties that one human being owes to another human being.”
– Prof. (Dr.) Sairam Bhat, Professor of Law, National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, India & Coordinator, Centre for Environmental Law Education, Research and Advocacy (CEERA)” I must assert that fundamental human rights and climate change are interconnected, necessitating serious discussions and actions. ”
– Uza. Ihusana Hamid, Lawyer of Maldives
Through this webinar, the audience will be able to interpret and understand in detail the impact of climate change on various human rights-labor, women, environment, social culture, and education- including major human rights, through experts in international law and human rights. the webinar aims to articulate the rights of individuals and the obligations of states amidst climate change, specifying the implementation of international human rights norms and building mechanisms for human rights accountability in the current context of each country.
Introduction Webinar
From July 2022 to today, HWPL(Heavenly Culture, World Peace, Restoration of Light) hosted the human rights webinars entitled “Human Rights revealed by Climate Change”. Through these events, the people of South Asia, including India, Bangladesh and the Maldives, have recognized the reality of climate change and the need to protect human rights.
This webinar ended successfully with about 80 participants (from 8 countries) including Human Rights activists, law professors, lawyers, president of Civil Society, and students.
H.E. Ms. Aminath Shauna, Former Minister of Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, Maldives / Hon. Hiroshi Yamamura, Former Minister of Public Works and Current Senator of Utrok Atoll in the Marshall Islands / Mr. Sunil Zode, Chairman of Indian chamber of commerce for Affirmative Action (ICCAA) & National council for Legal awareness, india delivered the encouragement.
The webinar established the concept of human rights and provided a concrete understanding on the protection of human rights in relation to climate change by approaching the current situation in countries facing the climate crisis as human rights. In addition, through the Climate Change Education and Climate Human Rights Act, the country and civil society reconsidered the need for peace and created an opportunity to recognize the various perspectives on the protection of human rights.
Three speakers conveyed their opinion based on their expertise, addressing the current context and the attitudes individuals should adopt to tackle the problem. Afterwards, participants have had time to freely share their impressions(thoughts and opinions) on the topic. Furthermore, they gathered their sincere hearts forming a sense of solidarity with countries and civil society around the world.
Background & Relevance
Climate change issues are closely linked to various areas of human activity such as climate security, climate inequality, climate human rights, climate diplomacy, and climate refugees. Above all, climate change has a direct impact on basic human life. In particular, it threatens various human rights, including the right to life, the right to adequate food and water, the right to health, the right to adequate housing, and the right to self-determination. In this way, climate change has become a significant obstacle to the realization of human rights established in the International Bill of Human Rights framework.
The impact of climate change is greater for certain groups, including poor countries or the poor who have limited recovery capacity and resources. according to a report by Development Assistance Research Associates (DARA), developed countries account for 15% of global deaths due to climate change, while developing countries account for 83%.
A research team led by Katharine Mach at Stanford University stated that “up to 20% of armed conflicts in the 20th century were caused by climate change and extreme weather events, and the impact is increasing further in the 21st century.” Consequently, climate change can become a cause or result of international conflicts and tensions. In addition, due to the depletion of resources and the changes in landscapes and borders due to the climate crisis, it is predicted that people will migrate; conflicts will escalate; and militarism will intensify.
Today, climate change poses the most urgent and widespread threat to the basic rights of the global community, which can rival even the impacts of war. To resolve the climate crisis and establish ultimately equivalent for global peace, HWPL Global 03 Branch aims to resolve practical climate human rights issues by implementing the MAC Project based on Article 10 of the DPCW, ‘Spreading the Culture of Peace’, as its basic spirit
Guest of Honour’s Congratulatory Speech
H.E. Ms. Aminath Shauna, Former Minister of Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, Maldives
▶ a very good afternoon to you all. Firstly, let me thank HWPL for this wonderful opportunity to speak on the topic of human rights and climate change. Today we have so many countries represented in this room some quite different from our islands but some very similar to our islands as well. But we all share the same problem today, whether you are from the home of the Himalayas mountains or landlocked Central Asian country, we are all in the same globe. Human caused climate change is affecting every region across the globe, impacting nature and people.
▶ The Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change says limiting warming to around 1.5 degrees of global greenhouse gas emissions to peak before 2025 at the latest and be reduced by 43 percent by 2030. To put this into perspective, 2030 is just so close to us and just 6 years from now or in more alarming terms, just about 75 months from now, a world beyond 1.5 degrees is a world that will not be kind to small islands. So, when we talk about 1.5 degrees, what we’re really talking about is whether our country remains functional, whether it remains habitable.
▶ We don’t allow any unsustainable fisheries in our waters, but the Maldives cannot do this alone if temperatures go beyond 1.5. We’re talking about serious human rights issues not just in the Maldives Worldwide as well. Extreme weather is already causing food security problems around the world from drought to floods, climate change knows no borders. What is evident is that climate change if unaddressed by 2030, will cause migration in many parts of the world. In a world already overburdened by socio economic issues causing political unrest. Climate change impacts will continue to exacerbate these problems.
▶ Prevention of conflict arising because of resource depletion, Climate disasters can only be prevented by our collective efforts. Our collective effort to reduce greenhouse gas by 2030 to limit temperature to 1.5 degrees. This is the only way for us to avoid a global humanitarian crisis. Climate change does not discriminate geographical boundaries. We all feel its impacts every single day. We must treat it like the emergency it is.
Hon Dr. Kamal Hossain, HWPL International Law Peace Committee (ILPC) & 1st Law Minister of Bangladesh & Former Vice-President of International Law Association (ILA) of Bangladesh Branch, Bangladesh
▶ Climate change has become significant obstacle to the realization of human rights. It has direct impact on the human rights, in particular threatens right to adequate food, adequate water, right to shelter, right to health, right to adequate housing and self-determination.
▶ I hope and wish that this webinar organized by HWPL shall contribute towards the protection of Climate change.
Hon. Hiroshi Yamamura, Former Minister of Public Works and Current Senator of Utrok Atoll in the Marshall Islands
▶ for those who don’t know where the Marshal Island is Marshal Island is south kind of a southeast from Honolulu about it’s about like 3000 miles south of Honolulu and about came distance from between Fiji and Honolulu Monal Island is no different than Tuvalu, Kiribas, Maldives and all these low lying atolls.
▶ We don’t have any mountains all of them are at faults. And these are the things that we encounter up to this date. As for the climate change, everybody knows and it’s all similar and under the compact if the sea level rise happened, then maybe most of our population will be migrated.
Mr. Sunil Zode, Chairman of Indian chamber of commerce for Affirmative Action (ICCAA) & National council for Legal awareness, india
▶ It is an honor to address such a distinguished audience today, particularly on a topic as pressing and vital as the protection of human rights in the face of climate change. As we participate in this webinar, we are reminded of the interconnectedness of our world, where the impacts of climate change transcend borders and affect us all. The urgency to safeguard human rights amidst these environmental challenges has never been greater.
▶ Climate change has had a significant impact on India, leading to unpredictable weather patterns, extreme heatwaves, erratic rainfall, and rising sea levels, among other challenges. These changes have affected agriculture, water resources, biodiversity, and public health, posing serious threats to food security, livelihoods, and economic growth.
▶ In the face of these challenges, it is imperative for businessmen to adopt a proactive attitude towards climate change. They should prioritize sustainable practices, invest in renewable energy, minimize carbon emissions, and integrate climate resilience into their business strategies. By taking proactive measures, businesses can not only mitigate their environmental impact but also contribute to the country’s efforts in addressing climate change and building a more sustainable future.
▶ Together, we have the opportunity to amplify our voices and drive meaningful change on a global scale. As we navigate the complexities of our time, let us remember that the pursuit of peace is not a solitary endeavor but a collective journey. It is a journey that requires empathy, courage, and unwavering commitment to upholding the rights and dignity of every individual, regardless of their nationality, ethnicity, or creed.
▶In closing, I express my sincere hope that today’s webinar serves as a catalyst for future peace activities and inspires us all to redouble our efforts in building a more just, equitable, and sustainable world for generations to come. I thank HWPL for their efforts to organize this webinar to raise awareness about climate change.
Points of discussion
Dr. Md. Abdul Awal Khan, Professor, Dept. of Law, Independent University, Bangladesh
▶ My topic relating to this discussion is basically focused on in Bangladesh context and you know that Bangladesh is one of the victims of climate change and there in Bangladesh.
▶ they need different kinds of support to provide their human rights issues but to human rights framework and human rights based approach is a conceptual framework and if you want to include it in the policy framework, there are a few issues.
▶ human rights based approach it seeks inequalities which lies in the heart of development problems and the discriminatory practices and unjust distribution of power that impede development progress and often result in groups of people being left behind. So major elements of Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA) we can mentioned that it is governance problem that means transparency, accountability. This is one of the major challenges that we face in developing counties and states.
▶ And if we focus on the substantive, substantive elements then we can see that experts focus on fundamental rights, non-discrimination and this always remains one of the challenges and equality. Human Rights Based Approach actually focuses on traditional labor, marginalized groups. that means to ensure equality for the marginalized group people it is one of the major challenges. so these are the core human rights based approach elements.
▶ More challenges mainstreaming human rights in the legal system of Bangladesh is it’s not an easy task and also because the human rights mechanism remains one of the weaker situation and moreover, managing climate displaced people within the national jurisdiction it presents many common challenges.
▶ So to ensure that human based approach in the legal system of Bangladesh or legal and policy framework and then we, there are these challenges remains a deadlock. To overcome if we are able to overcome all those challenges, then we’ll be provided a better support for the climate displaced people or climate affected people.
Prof. (Dr.) Sairam Bhat, Professor of Law, National Law School of India University (NLSIU), Bengaluru, India & Coordinator, Centre for Environmental Law Education, Research and Advocacy (CEERA)
▶ climate change is interestingly, not necessarily that is human induced. It can be induced by natural phenomena or natural process and yet it can affect your human rights. you know, in climate human rights, you don’t know whom to blame you don’t know whom to know, find fault with you know, nature is now showing you that. I believe that climate change has affected human rights in a way that human rights jurisprudence has never visualized it before.
▶ scientists believe that climate change will make poor people poorer. This is a possibility and this is a challenge for international human rights. Are we prepared to deal with this on a global scale or on an international scale? I think this is one critical factor that we have to discuss.
▶ when it comes to climate, please understand that it is the poor who will be suffering from climate disasters. It will be the poor who will suffer from climate disaster. Who are these poor? They are the vulnerable communities who probably do not have what I call as climate insurance. You know, they don’t have access to insurance. the vulnerable communities are crying for climate protection. It is their human right they need to be protected. It is the state that owes them a duty to protect themselves.
▶ scientists also say that these health issues are also a necessary problem coming from climate change. I think it is the imperished communities of the poor communities whose rights are going to be impacted if a pandemic strikes again.
▶ So I think we all owe a duty to share our wealth, to share our knowledge to empower communities who are at the risk of climate change. It is our duty and this is very important because unless we do, we will not be cultivating peace and it will result in violence. cultivating peace is critical. It is very important and climate change will teach us that either in the harsh reality way or in a way that we have never seen before.
▶Climate may be one of the reasons because there is no enough employment and livelihood in the agriculture sector or in the organized sector or in the urban sector when people are migrating. Remember, this is one reason why people are migrating.
▶ climate change is not a myth let’s face it. I think some leaders think it’s a myth but it’s not a myth because countries are facing the real challenge. I think the biggest impact of climate change is going to be on basic human rights. It is going to be on communities that are vulnerable and poor.
▶ we all owe a duty towards them. I think it’s important that at this point we do not focus on human rights. We focus on human duties that one human being owes to another human being. Let’s stop human rights, let’s focus on human duties. let’s be human as human beings to advocate for human rights.
Jaibatruka Mohanta, Research Associate, Centre for Environmental Law Education, Research and Advocacy (CEERA), National Law School of India University, Bangalore
▶ Now for countries that are larger in response to countries like Tuvalu or various other island nations may not be so very significant because we would be the last nations and the last people who would have the severe effect of climate change. Rather in this light, we must see how the global community we respond to the smaller nations and we try to handhold them and increase the level of understanding and how do we handhold them into our communities.
▶ It’s not only about our survival, but it’s also about the survival of all the countries together and only then we would be actually able to achieve the agenda of peace in the international community.
Uza. Ihusana Hamid, (Environmental Law) Lawyer of Maldives
▶ During around 2100, most of the islands of the country will be experiencing extreme coastal flooding except for the capital city of Maldives with 80 percentage of the population will be affected.
▶ We are experiencing extreme weather conditions. So there is a extreme flooding happening like almost every month now and in coral bleaching events, the corals are subject to mortality and several coral bleaching events has been recorded in Maldives since 1977.
▶ Maldives has been experiencing beach erosion and 97 percentage of the islands have reported the problem of beach erosion which directly impacts our economy. And when it comes to coral bleaching or the IPCC predicts that by 2050 if the temperatures rise, we could lose 70 to 90 percentage of corals in the whole world.
▶ UDHR Article 3 talks about Right to Life while CRC Article 24 and Article 27 (1) and (3) talks about the rights of a standard of health, the educate for the child’s physical and social development and that these appropriate measures should be taken by the state to ensure these rights. it is the powers of the state shall be exercised within the Constitution (Article 18 of the Constitution of the Maldives 2008) and it is the obligation of the state to ensure that these powers are, these rights are ensured to the citizens of Maldives. And the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Article 11 (2) (a) talks about the utilization of natural resources, the reduction of stillbirth and the improvement of all aspects of environmental and the preservation of the environment.
▶ The state is also under the obligation to take the measures necessary to foster conservation and prevent pollution. While Article 23 of the Constitution talks about the economic and social rights and the state is under the obligation to provide eduquate and nutritious food and clean water, good standards of health care, both physical and mental, healthy and ecologically balanced.
▶ Maldives has an Environmental Protection Act which was endorsed in 1993 and three amendments has been brought to it up to it so far and section one of the that says that the natural environment and its resources are a national heritage that needs to be protected and preserved for the benefit of future generation. And under this act a lot of natural sites and species are being protected.
▶ Apart from that, I think and I firmly believe that the state should take an active role on the front line to raise awareness among the public. And this involves making the public aware of the recent acts and regulations.
And we need to establish a connection between these acts and regulation with the fundamental rights and the consequences elaborating on the importance of doing this, as it will facilitate the public to accept these things more easily to believe.
▶ Maldives is experiencing all of those climatic challenges which I have mentioned before and a lot of actions are being taken from the government side… I firmly believe that individual actions can yield substantial positive effects. So it is imperative to recognize that just as humanity relies on nature, nature equally depends on our respect and preservation efforts.
Audiences impression & Comment
Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Delhi, India
▶ everybody gave really very good perspective on different aspects of and different consequences of climate change. But as in the last speaker mentioned about that, the consequences are going to be very severe not only for the people living in these islands lesson, but also for the other countries because when they are migrating to another country.
▶ the country who are going to host these migrants, will face many kinds of challenges, cultural challenges because these countries might be having a different socio, religious backing and when they are moving to another country. the host country would certainly be facing some kind of conflict with the migrant population. So that would further to escalate the issue of violence and other kinds of human rights violence. So that’s what I think would and we deserve to be taken care of in the coming time.
Fahim Paigham, CBC Manager, Care of Afghan Families for Community Development Organization (CAFCDO) & UN Women, Afghanistan
▶ Recently Afghanistan communities suffering from an earthquake in the eastern west of the country. Also because of poor economic situation in regime changing Afghanistan people more and the risk of climate change and also and the situation of, regarding natural disasters regarding the climate because of dirty air pollution particularly in this winter he season in the capital of Afghanistan is most dangerous. So I would like to draw your attention for this part of the world which is most vulnerable and needs all attention. And thank you for holding this important webinar.
Iyolanda Graça, Advisor of Minister Of Justice For Communication and Image, São Tomé and Príncipe
▶ Climate change and human rights are not just one country’s problem, but everyone’s problem. Maldives and Sao Tome and Principe are the same island country, but have different climate change situations. To address these issues, it is important that we raise awareness of the issue of climate change. In Sao Tome and Principe, we want everyone to discuss the same topic as one. This is why I participated in this human rights webinar.
Dr. Pyali Chatterjee, Head of Dean, Faculty of law, ICFAI University, India
▶ There is a gender issues in the areas wherever there is a natural disaster because in all those areas it has been seen and find out that females, particularly females, either they were forcefully or you know, somewhere they were traffic to support their family. So this is another issue which has to be dealt not only in national level but also in international level because this is something where you cannot ask the government to help because unless and until government are aware of this issue because these are things like I have already said that these are the people who are from economic backward classes and to support their family, these ladies, their folks, to choose this posituation as their economic support.
▶ these are the things where NGO workers or where people like us can help them. So this is one thing which I’d like to highlight in this discussion this thing I just want to add that these are also another issues related to climate change.
Ashutosh Arya, Director of Jabaj Educational and Welfare Foundation, India
▶ The natural disaster is like keep coming, you know, year after year. maybe like we can say in the northeastern part of India, maybe in the southern part of India it’s like very frequent, very frequent nearwise if we keep coming, then people will be forced to migrate from there to any other place.
▶ Also like migration is like a real, real issue it should be addressed accordingly like if the natural disasters keep coming, we can bring out some solutions at a small level and then they achieve the main, the main goal of the, they cut out the, some of the things.
Yazdi Zaman, Student, Bangladesh
▶ I’m really grateful to be a part of this wonderful event. This really helped me to it really helped me in the sense that it added a new dimension to my understanding on climate and human rights. I never actually thought from this dimension from this perspective and Bangladesh being ground zero for climate change and its impact. I think it’s critical for us as Bangladesh to understand the kind of impact it’s going to have on us, our lives, our livelihood and income in the near future.
Henceforward plan
– The results of the webinar will be promoted to the Ministers and relevant officials of the Home Affairs, Justice, and Environmental Departments (such as the Ministry of Fisheries and the Ministry of Environment) in each country and propose discussions and cooperation on practical measures for peace.
– In the future, HWPL’s Global 03 Branch will submit webinar results reports every year to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to form international ties and public opinion. Through this, it can be expected that the effectiveness of human rights obligations can be secured by increasing interaction between the state and civil society. In addition, in accordance with the DPCW Article 10, ‘Spreading a Culture of Peace’, sustainable development activities such as discussions on the relationship between human rights in the war-like climate change and education and campaigns for the institutionalization of peace will be carried out with citizens around the world.
– Periodic webinars will be further conducted to submit the results of webinars to international conferences, including side events at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), advocating for the necessity of substantial peace through collective solidarity and cooperation among nations and societies.
Webinar Commemorative photo
