Promoting Human Rights in Climate Action: A Global Stocktake Informed by Human Rights

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) explains the Global Stocktake (GST) process mandated by the Paris Agreement and advocates for the integration of human rights and social principles into this assessment to ensure effective climate action.

• The Global Stocktake (GST) is a recurring process every five years designed to evaluate collective progress toward the Paris Agreement's goals regarding finance, adaptation, and mitigation. It serves as a "ratchet mechanism" intended to push countries to increase their climate ambition and inform the creation of future Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
• The first GST cycle began at COP26 and is scheduled to conclude at COP28 in November 2023. The process is divided into three distinct stages: information collection and preparation (running through June 2023), technical assessment (starting June 2022), and the final consideration of outputs at COP28.
• CIEL argues that for climate action to be effective, the GST must move beyond the Paris Agreement's preamble to actively integrate human rights and social principles. Key areas for integration include the rights of Indigenous Peoples, gender equality, food security, intergenerational equity, ecosystem integrity, and a just transition for workers.
• The document highlights specific human rights risks and opportunities within climate action: Indigenous Peoples' right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) should apply to mitigation and adaptation projects; secure land tenure is identified as an effective climate policy; and reducing gender inequalities is recognized by the IPCC as a way to reduce climate vulnerability.
• The GST process is designed to be more inclusive than standard climate negotiations, allowing non-Party stakeholders, civil society, and National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) to submit information. Submissions do not require UNFCCC observer status.
• While the UNFCCC provided 34 guiding questions for the GST, CIEL notes that these are not exhaustive. This allows stakeholders to provide critical input on topics not explicitly detailed in the questions, such as the phase-out of fossil fuels and land tenure rights.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2022). Promoting Human Rights in Climate Action: A Global Stocktake Informed by Human Rights. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022_2_2_CIEL_Briefing_A-Global-Stocktake-Informed-by-Human-Right-1.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Promoting Human Rights in Climate Action: A Global Stocktake Informed by Human Rights. 2022. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022_2_2_CIEL_Briefing_A-Global-Stocktake-Informed-by-Human-Right-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Promoting Human Rights in Climate Action: A Global Stocktake Informed by Human Rights |date=February 2022 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022_2_2_CIEL_Briefing_A-Global-Stocktake-Informed-by-Human-Right-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2022promoting, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Promoting Human Rights in Climate Action: A Global Stocktake Informed by Human Rights}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2022}, month = feb, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/2022_2_2_CIEL_Briefing_A-Global-Stocktake-Informed-by-Human-Right-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }