The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Edited News , Press Conferences | OHCHR , WFP
OHCHR Press conference: Human rights in the context of climate change - 24 June 2022
More than 59 million people were internally displaced in 2021 as a consequence mainly related due to climate events. To investigate the plight of people displaced by the impacts of climate change, and to fight for legal protection for them is one of the key tasks of Ian Fry, the first UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and climate change.
“There is a huge number of people, a sort of an intolerable tide of people, moving as a consequence of climate change”, Mr. Fry said when speaking today at a briefing at the United Nations in Geneva. “This is an enormous number of people, and this is higher than the number of people displaced as a consequence of conflict”, he added.
The Special Rapporteur presented yesterday the first-ever report on human rights and climate change at the 50th Session of the UN Human Rights Council. In his report Mr. Fry outlined a six-point plan to address the human rights harms resulting from climate-induced loss and damage.
Mr. Fry mainly expressed worries about people displaced across international borders due to climate change as millions of them have no grounds for seeking asylum under international law. “I am certainly particularly concerned about this issue of people displaced across international borders that are not defined as refugees under the Refugee Convention and therefore fall through the cracks as far as legal protection is concerned”, he said.
The international environmental lawyer whose mandate started last month, also highlighted the many non-economic losses stemming from climate change and its consequences. “Where I come from in the Pacific, people are losing graves as a result of the seas washing away their loved ones”, he said.
Mr. Fry, who fought for least developed countries at the 2015 Paris climate conference, will also look into legislation, litigation and corporate responsibilities during his new mandate over the next three years.
“There are a number of cases being held questioning the role of governments setting targets for climate change, there are court cases against companies so there’ s a variety of litigation that’s before the court at the moment”, he said.
Ian Fry will also look at the fossil fuel industry, itself a major producer of greenhouse gases. He aims to look at their connection on what they are doing on human rights. “This is where businesses, financial institutions are investing in the fossil fuel industry. So, I want to pursue the issue of disclosure around disclosing investments in fossil fuel industry”, he said.
Another important point of his action plan is to address and involve the youth in the discussion around human rights and climate change.
“For our young people who now have an uncertain future, we want to guarantee their future”.
-ends-
- Exterior wide shot, flag alley, UN Geneva.
- Wide shot, UN Geneva Press room, photographer in forefront
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Ian Fry, UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights and Climate change: “There is a huge number of people, a sort of an intolerable tide of people moving as a consequence of climate change”.
- Medium shot, journalists listening
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Ian Fry, UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights and Climate change: “So this is an enormous number of people, and this is higher than the number of people displaced as a consequence of conflict”.
- Zoom up from hands typing to face of journalist
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Ian Fry, UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights and Climate change: “I am certainly particularly concerned about this issue of people displaced across international borders that are not defined as refugees under the Refugee Convention and therefore fall through the cracks as far as legal protection is concerned”.
- Close up, hands writing
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Ian Fry, UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights and Climate change: “Where I come from in the Pacific, people are losing graves as a result of the seas washing away their loved ones”.
- Zoom form laptop to face of journalist
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Ian Fry, UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights and Climate change: “There are a number of cases being held questioning the role of governments setting targets for climate change, there are court cases against companies so there’ s a variety of litigation that’s before the court at the moment”.
- Medium shot, journalist listening
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Ian Fry, UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights and Climate change: “This is where businesses, financial institutions are investing in the fossil fuel industry. So, I want to pursue the issue of disclosure around disclosing investments in fossil fuel industry”.
- Medium shot, journalists listening with screen with speaker
- SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH): Ian Fry, UN Special Rapporteur on Human rights and Climate change: “For our young people who now have an uncertain future, we want to guarantee their future”.
- Two shot, journalists listening and typing
- Wide shot, speakers on podium filmed from above
- Close up, journalist
- Wide shot, speaker at podium with journalists listening
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
New UN Human Rights report finds 10 years of increased suffering repression and fear
The UN Human Rights Office on Friday published a report on the human rights situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) since 2014.
1
1
2
Edited News | UNICEF , UNHCR
The ongoing humanitarian response to the devastating Afghanistan earthquake disaster continued on Friday, although essential services have been cut for operational reasons following reinforced Taliban restrictions on women working with the UN, the global body said.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | WIPO , WMO , OHCHR , UNICEF , UNHCR , WHO
Michele Zaccheo, Chief, UNTV, Radio and Webcast Section, United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, United Nations Children's Fund, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, World Health Organization, World Intellectual Property Organization, World Meteorological Organization, and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
Un nouveau rapport du Haut-Commissariat des Nations Unies aux droits de l'homme sur la République démocratique du Congo évoque le spectre de crimes de guerre et de crimes contre l'humanité dans le Nord et le Sud-Kivu.,
2
1
2
Press Conferences , Edited News | HRC
A high-level independent rights probe into the Sudan crisis on Tuesday condemned the many grave crimes committed against civilians by all parties to the war, citing disturbing evidence indicating that they had been “deliberately targeted, displaced and starved”.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Ukraine: ‘Relentless’ attacks rattle health system as winter approaches: WHO
Ambulances attacked, chronically ill patients lacking care and no peace in sight: for millions of Ukrainians, the run-up to another winter of war is just the latest life-or-death challenge they face, the UN health agency (WHO) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | IFRC , OCHA , WHO , IOM , UNICEF
Alessandra Vellucci of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, attended by spokespersons and representatives of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization, UN Women, the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the International Federation of the Red Cross.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his report on Sri Lanka to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk on Monday delivered his global update to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
A UN report on the Democratic Republic of Congo raises specter of war crimes and crimes against humanity in North and South Kivu, according to UN Human Rights Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani.
1
1
1
Press Conferences | IFRC , OHCHR
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service (UNIS) in Geneva, chaired the hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives from the International Organization for Migration, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the World Meteorological Organization, the World Health Organization, and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
1
1
1
Edited News | WMO
As billions of people continue to breathe polluted air that causes more than 4.5 million premature deaths every year, UN climate experts on Friday highlighted how damaging microscopic smoke particles from wildfires play their part, travelling half-way across the world.