States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change: CRC (2019 Update)

The document examines how the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) integrates climate change into its monitoring of State obligations. In 2018, the CRC issued climate-related recommendations to 47% of reviewed States, focusing heavily on procedural rights, education, and disaster-sensitive social protection. While mitigation was addressed in only 14% of climate recommendations—specifically targeting fossil fuel exploitation in Norway and coal-fired power plants in Spain—the CRC also urged Niger to address deforestation and land regeneration. The briefing highlights a trend of linking recommendations to Sustainable Development Goal 13 and emphasizes the need for children's meaningful participation in climate policy-making.

• In 2018, the CRC provided climate change recommendations to 47% of the States it reviewed, with these recommendations distributed relatively evenly across developed countries, Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States (SIDS), and other developing countries.
• The CRC's 2018 recommendations focused primarily on procedural rights, including the integration of climate change and disaster risk reduction into school curricula and the inclusion of children's perspectives in policy-making.
• Mitigation efforts were mentioned in 14% of the CRC's 2018 climate recommendations, specifically targeting Norway's fossil fuel exploitation, Spain's coal-fired power plants and private business emissions, and Niger's deforestation and land regeneration.
• The CRC frequently linked its climate recommendations to the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 13 (climate action) and Goal 4 (quality education), though it rarely recommended that States seek international cooperation or provide financial assistance for climate activities.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2019). States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change: CRC (2019 Update). https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Children’s-Rights-Obligations-of-States-in-the-Context-of-Climate-Change-March-2019.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change: CRC (2019 Update). 2019. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Children’s-Rights-Obligations-of-States-in-the-Context-of-Climate-Change-March-2019.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change: CRC (2019 Update) |date=2019 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Children’s-Rights-Obligations-of-States-in-the-Context-of-Climate-Change-March-2019.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2019states, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change: CRC (2019 Update)}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2019}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Children’s-Rights-Obligations-of-States-in-the-Context-of-Climate-Change-March-2019.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }