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Overview of the
Submission of the Maldives to the
Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
under Human Rights Council Resolution 7/23
"HUMAN RIGHTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE"
25th September 2008
• Submission provides proof that climate change is
already affecting the lives, livelihoods and rights of
people across island nation
• Findings are equally applicable to many other
vulnerable countries
THE LINK BETWEEN HUMAN RIGHTS AND
THE ENVIRONMENT
Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human
Environment, 1972
“Man has the fundamental right to freedom, equality and adequate
conditions of life, in an environment of a quality that permits a life of
dignity and well-being, and he bears a solemn responsibility to protect
and improve the environment for present and future generations”
Rio Declaration on Environment and Development, 1992
“Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable
development. They are entitled to a healthy and productive life in
harmony with nature”
Human Rights Council Resolution 7/23 on Human rights and
climate change, 2008
“Climate change poses an immediate and far-reaching threat to
people and communities around the world and has implications for the
full enjoyment of human rights”
GENERAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE
MALDIVES
• Chain of coral atolls composed of 1,192 islands
• 80 % of the islands are less than 1 meter above sea
level
• 96% of all islands are smaller than 1 km2
• Population is 300,000 people
• The economy is concentrated in tourism and fishing
which account for about 28% and 8% of GDP
respectively
• A tsunami in 2004 devastated the Maldives, causing
a loss of an estimated 60% of total GDP
THE PHYSICAL AND HUMAN IMPACTS OF
CLIMATE CHANGE
• Sea Level Rise. Risk to the land and people of the
Maldives at even low levels of sea rise
• Temperature Increase. Higher temperatures are
conducive to the transmission of dengue fever,
malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases
• Extreme Weather Events. Tropical storms and
cyclones is likely to increase as a result of climate
change (Tsunami of 2004)
• Changes in Precipitation. Extreme rainfall events
becoming more common, endangering agricultural
lands
THE IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
•
•
•
•
Collective Rights
Civil and Political Rights
Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights
Procedural Rights
Right
to Life
Civil and
Political
Rights
Right to
Housing,
Work
Economic,
Social, and
Cultural
Rights
Right to
Food,
Water,
Health
Right to
Property
Climate
Change
Collective
Rights
SelfDetermination
Right of
Access to
Information
Procedural
Rights
Right to
Remedy
COLLECTIVE RIGHTS: SELF-DETERMINATION
• Article 1 of both the ICCPR and the ICESCR
• Climate change destroys one of the hallmarks of
statehood: its territory
• Element of SD: people must not be deprived of its
own means of subsistence
• Small Islands States as a whole emit less than 1% of
global GHG emissions
• Positive actions from States
OBLIGATIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
UNDER INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTRUMENTS
• Duty to Cooperate to Achieve the Full Realization of
Rights under the ICESCR
• «The Maldives on its own is incapable of preventing the
violations of fundamental human rights that are already
taking place as a result of climate change – violations
which will occur on a scale of increasing magnitude
should the most likely climate change scenarios be
realised.”
• State parties must also refrain from actions that indirectly
interfere with the enjoyment of rights in other countries
(f.ex. limitation of emissions)
• “collective responsibility” to address threats that are
trans-boundary in nature (certain diseases)
UNDER INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE CONVENTIONS
The UNFCCC:
• “low-lying and other small island countries, countries
with low-lying coastal areas … are particularly
vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate
change”
• Common but differentiated responsibilities
• Precautionary approach to climate change
• Obligations under the Kyoto Protocol
SAMPLES OF ADAPTATION MEASURES SUPPORTED
BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
• Sea Wall, (1995-2002) $70 million. A permanent concrete
seawall, including wave control structures was constructed,
which is expected to protect the shore from high seas and
waves
• Desalination plants, (2005-2007), $3.2 million. A supplementary
water system project on15 islands which desalinates seawater
into drinkable, to ensure access to safe water for the island
communities
• Disaster Risk Management, (2005-2007) $25.2 million.
Mechanisms to manage and mitigate natural disasters.
• Alternative economic activity: Pearl Culture, (2004-2008)
$386,0 The project aims to build a sustainable pearl culture
industry in the Maldives will contribute towards economic
diversification in the country.
THANK YOU!
Link:
• http://www.ohchr.org/Documents/Issues/ClimateC
hange/Submissions/Maldives_Submission.pdf
Emilia Ramazanova (Russia)