Background

The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders will focus her next thematic report on the situation of human rights defenders working on climate change and a just transition. This is in line with the Human Rights Council’s request for her to study trends, developments and challenges concerning human rights defenders (A/HRC/RES/16/5, as renewed through A/HRC/RES 52/4).

Climate change is already having a major negative impact on human rights around the globe, with the most marginalized people feeling the greatest effects. If global warming continues at its current rate, the damage to human rights will increase exponentially, and put the protection and fulfilment of the human rights to life, food, health, housing, water and sanitation, development and a clean, healthy and sustainable environment, along with others, out of reach for a huge portion of the global population. For these reasons, the Special Rapporteur has decided to dedicate her next report to the issue.

Objectives

The Special Rapporteur seeks to examine the important role played by human rights defenders in supporting states to meet their obligations to mitigate climate change and enact a just transition, and to highlight the challenges they face in this work, including forms of retaliation or repression.

In the call for inputs, the Special Rapporteur is seeking examples in line with these points of focus from any interested actors, including Member States and human rights defenders themselves.

Lear more here.

Input should be submitted by e-mail by 30 April 2025.

• Email address: hrc-sr-defenders@un.org
• Email subject line: 2025 GA report on HRDs and climate change
• Word limit: 2000 words
• File formats: Word and PDF
• Accepted Languages: Arabic, English, French, Russian, and Spanish