Food for “Rights” Thought on Marrakech

Dearest Negotiators,

As you prepare to leave the city on the Rhine, here is some food for thought. Here is your charge for Marrakesh: fully integrate the rights package in the preamble to the Paris Agreement (human rights, the rights of indigenous peoples, just transition of the workforce, gender equality, food security, ecosystem integrity and intergenerational equity) into all climate actions at international and national levels.

This might seem like a tall task—but we know you can do it! On a macro level, protecting human rights means staying below 1.5°C, which will require dramatic cuts in emissions. It means ensuring that implementation is balanced and equitable, focusing not just on mitigation, but also on support, adaptation, and loss and damage. It means scaling up ambition (especially from developed countries in terms of mitigation action and support). Protecting human rights also requires ensuring adequate additional financial support with a core focus on public finance provision. Here are some specific actions:

  • Mandate an in-session expert workshop (May 2017) to explore the interactions between human rights and the transition to a low-carbon and climate-resilient world.
  • Host an in-session technical workshop in Marrakesh on traditional knowledge, the knowledge of indigenous peoples and local knowledge systems.
  • Establish a platform for indigenous peoples to exchange and share best practices on mitigation and adaptation and recognise an indigenous peoples’ expert group to provide related advice.
  • Feature ‘just transition’ in the response measures forum and work program serving the Paris Agreement, with active involvement of the ILO and trade unions.
  • Apply gender-responsive climate finance and technology transfer for local communities, enabling the scaling-up of gender-just climate solutions from the local to the national level.
  • Ensure a concrete set of activities as part of a new decision to take progress forward under the Lima Work Programme on Gender.
  • Halt deforestation and degradation and promote ecosystem restoration, in line with the SDGs and CBD Aichi Targets through transparent and comprehensive reporting in the land sector.

These practical actions will guide and support the integration of these key principles into implementation of NDCs. Meeting the Paris Agreement’s goals won’t be easy but the burden must not fall upon those who have done the least to create this problem but, are already suffering the impacts of climate change.

Sincerely,

ECO* (with particular support from Trade Union Non-Governmental Organisations, Women & Gender Constituency, Indigenous Peoples’ Caucus, the Geneva Group, and the Human Rights & Climate Change Working Group)