AN INUIT PETITION TO THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

This research paper, presented at the 10th Conference of the Parties to the Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2004, proposes a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) against the United States. The authors argue that the U.S., as the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, has violated the human rights of the Inuit and other Arctic indigenous peoples by failing to curtail emissions, leading to the destruction of homes, loss of vital resources, and the potential erasure of ancient Inuit culture.

• The United States is identified as the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, accounting for approximately 25% of global emissions, and has failed to take meaningful action to reduce them despite commitments under the 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and the rejection of the Kyoto Protocol.
• Climate change is causing severe physical and cultural damage to Inuit communities in the Arctic, including the retreat of sea ice, thawing permafrost, and unpredictable weather that endangers hunters and impairs access to essential food sources like seals, caribou, polar bears, and walruses.
• In Shishmaref, Alaska, a village of 600 houses, global warming has already caused three houses to fall into the sea and seven to be relocated, with engineers predicting the entire village could disappear within a few decades due to advancing seawater and contaminated drinking water.
• A petition to the IACHR would rely on the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man, citing violations of the right to life and personal security (Art. I), residence and movement (Art. VIII), inviolability of the home (Art. IX), preservation of health and well-being (Art. XI), and the right to culture (Art. XIII).
• While the IACHR cannot force the U.S. to reduce emissions or provide compensation, a finding of human rights violations would provide moral and political force, raise public awareness, and serve as a basis for future domestic or international litigation.

APA

Wagner, M., & Goldberg, D. M. (2004). AN INUIT PETITION TO THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/COP10_Handout_EJCIEL.pdf

Chicago

Wagner, Martin, and Donald M. Goldberg. AN INUIT PETITION TO THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS. Center for International Environmental Law, 2004. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/COP10_Handout_EJCIEL.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Wagner |first1=Martin |last2=Goldberg |first2=Donald M. |title=AN INUIT PETITION TO THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=15 December 2004 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/COP10_Handout_EJCIEL.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{wagner2004inuit, author = {Wagner, Martin and Goldberg, Donald M.}, title = {{AN INUIT PETITION TO THE INTER-AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2004}, month = dec, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/COP10_Handout_EJCIEL.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }