Five UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies issued a joint statement on Monday warning that States must act on climate as failure to do so may constitute a breach of their obligations under human rights international law.
The five bodies highlight that under these treaties, States have legally binding obligations to protect human rights by urgently addressing the climate crisis. Under international law, “Failure to take measures to prevent foreseeable human rights harm caused by climate change, or to regulate activities contributing to such harm, could constitute a violation of States’ human rights obligations,” the Statement says.