COP29: UN expert urges governments to tackle climate change’s impact on human rights

Climate change is increasingly undermining human rights, and governments must take responsibility for preventing this, said UN Special Rapporteur on Climate Change, Elisa Morgera, at a press conference in Baku on November 11.

As part of the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, a press conference was held on the topic "La Ruta del Clima: Addressing Loss and Damage, Reparations and Climate Debt: A Human Rights Obligation, Not a Charity," Caliber.Az reports per local media.

During the conference, Morgera emphasised recent research highlighting the severe impacts of climate change on vulnerable groups, particularly children, women, and people with disabilities, supported by substantial evidence gathered by her colleagues in the UN's special procedures.

"This evidence shows that even in areas where we previously did not anticipate the consequences of climate change on human rights, such as gender-based violence, modern forms of slavery, and human trafficking, these are now predictable outcomes," Morgera stated.

She emphasised that whenever the negative impacts on human rights can be foreseen, governments must make a clear commitment to prevent them.

Morgera's remarks underscored the urgent need for comprehensive action to address the intersection of climate change and human rights, particularly in protecting the most vulnerable members of society.

Further commenting on the issue, UN expert stated that climate change is a pressing global challenge that must be prioritised:

“While the entire planet faces the consequences of climate change, it is less developed, developing, or post-colonial states that suffer the most. The excessive release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere since the 1990s has far exceeded acceptable levels, and to protect the global population from climate impacts, trillions of dollars are needed, with COP29 aiming to secure these funds.”

Notably, the 29th session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) officially begins today in Baku, Azerbaijan, running from November 11 to November 22. The decision to host the event in Azerbaijan was made at COP28 in Dubai on December 11, 2023. The conference will welcome around 70,000 international guests.

The High-Level Segment of the Climate Action Summit, featuring speeches from approximately 80 world leaders, will take place on November 12-13. COP has been held annually since 1995, with significant agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, which 195 countries, including Azerbaijan, have signed.

By Aghakazim Guliyev