'Climate change single greatest challenge of our era': UNHRC Chief

UN Human Rights Commissioner Michelle Bachelet said at the opening session of the 48th Human Rights Council that climate crisis is the single greatest challenge to human rights in the present era. She urged global economies to concentrate on the rebuilding of a "greener post-pandemic world." Bachelet highlighted the amplifiers of climate change and interlinked it with global conflicts, structural inequalities and people pushed into vulnerable situations.

In the Council meeting, the delegates discussed the humanitarian situation due to climate crises all over the world, shedding special light on Venezuela, Madagascar, Vietnam, Nigeria, Bangladesh, China, Maldives, Myanmar, Thailand, and Mauritania. During her opening address, Bachelet stressed the climate change-induced natural disasters in the aforementioned counties. In Madagascar, hundreds of thousands of people were facing extreme hunger after four years without rainfall, leading the World Food Programme (WFP) to warn about the "world's first climate change-induced famine," Bachelet informed. In Bangladesh, 17% of the country would be submerged by rising sea levels, depriving 20 million people of their homes, she added.

"Addressing the world's triple environmental crisis is a humanitarian imperative, a human rights imperative, a peace-building imperative, and a development imperative," Bachelet said.

'Humanitarian emergency fuelled by climate change'

"(The) Maldives is already experiencing severe harm, which would only get worse as sea levels rise," Bachelet informed. "Moreover forecasts across much of South East Asia, including Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam indicated that by 2050 there would be daily high tides. The subsequent tides would leave about 48 million people under flooded conditions," she said. 

The UN official also highlighted the humanitarian emergency in Sahel countries that were "fuelled by climate change." While talking about South Africa, Bachelet referred to the Intergovernmental Panel Report on Climate Crisis. "Immediate action should be taken for more sustainable environment and resource management policies to address access to water in Middle East and North Africa," she said. Bachelet also pointed out to the American "Dry Corridor" as a "striking" example of the impact of climate change on poverty, displacement, and fundamental human rights.

Citing examples of China's new National Action Plan on Human Rights 2021-2025 and India's counter-terrorism methods, Bachelet said that while the efforts are noteworthy, they also have several drawbacks. Bachelet regretted not being able to "report progress on meaningful access" to the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Talking about India Bachelet said the restrictive counter-terrorism measures could result in human rights violation and "foster further tensions and discontent," OHCHR mentioned in its statement.

Bachelet speaks on Afghanistan crisis

Last but not the least, the UN High Commissioner highlighted the catastrophic deterioration of human rights conditions in Afghanistan. She pointed out the Taliban's attack on the freedom and fundamental rights of people, especially women and children. "Afghan women and girls are equal to men and boys," Bachelet said sternly. 

Lastly, she mentioned that countries should engage in undertaking more environment-friendly projects amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. "This is a ship that unfortunately is not being consistently and robustly undertaken," she said and pointed out the member state's failure to meet the commitments under the Paris Accord. "We must set the bar higher...our common future depends on it," Bachelet concluded.

(Image: AP/Unsplash)