[JURIST] The UN Human Rights Council [official website] and delegates from Pacific island nations met Friday to discuss [press release] the impact of climate change on human rights. Many of the panelists agreed that climate change would impede on the right to self-determination of the people of the islands and could undercut the ability of small island states to have adequate food, housing and sanitation. The President of Kiribati, Anote Tong, stated that it is important to adequately discuss the issue of migration and relocation with dignity [UN News Centre report]. Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Rupert Colville stated in a briefing that this could cause many Pacific Islanders to become stateless withing a few decades. The council expressed concern over the limited understanding of the consequences of climate change shared by many of the governments taking part in the Conference of Parties in Paris [official website]. The Paris conference, which seeks to reduce carbon emissions, should include a human rights agenda, the panelists said. The UN Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, Flavia Pansieri, is urging parties to the Paris conference to reference human rights principles such as nondiscrimination, equality, empowerment, and transparency. She added it is necessary to ensure that climate change efforts to do not negatively affect marginalized groups.

Climate change [JURIST backgrounder] is a pressing global issue which many of the world’s governments have addressed in recent years. UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon [official profile] called on India [JURIST report] last month to be a world leader in sustainable development, praising the efforts the country has made thus far on this matter. In December UN Independent Expert on Human Rights and International Solidarity, Virginia Dandan, urged [JURIST report] states attending the UN Framework Convention for Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) in Lima, Peru, to commit to a legally binding agreement on greenhouse gas emissions. In November, the US and China announced a negotiated agreement [JURIST report] to reduce greenhouse gas output.