Children’s Rights Obligations of States in the Context of Climate Change

The report details how the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) integrates climate change into its monitoring of the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (ICRC). It analyzes the CRC's use of General Comments, State reporting procedures, and the communications procedure to hold States accountable for protecting children from climate harms. Key findings highlight a growing trend of climate-related recommendations, particularly for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and a strong emphasis on children's procedural rights to participation and education. The document also notes a landmark 2019 Joint Statement by five human rights treaty bodies asserting that failure to prevent foreseeable climate-related human rights harm could constitute a violation of State obligations.

• The CRC has increasingly integrated climate change into its State reporting procedure; between 2008 and 2019, 23% of all reviewed States received a climate recommendation, with this figure peaking in 2019 at 47% of reviewed States.
• Climate-related Concluding Observations (COBs) are disproportionately directed toward Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), which received 54% of such observations between 2008 and 2019.
• The CRC emphasizes that States must implement high-ambition emissions reductions, including phasing out fossil fuels and regulating private actors, to protect children's rights to life, health, and an adequate standard of living.
• Adaptation is the most frequent theme in the CRC's climate COBs, with a focus on child-sensitive risk reduction, early warning systems, and the protection of children with disabilities during disasters.
• The CRC strongly advocates for the procedural rights of children, specifically their right to be heard in climate policy-making and the inclusion of climate change and disaster-risk reduction in school curricula.
• A 2019 Joint Statement by the CRC and four other human rights treaty bodies warns that States may violate human rights obligations if they fail to prevent foreseeable climate-related harm or regulate activities contributing to it.
• While the CRC has not yet issued decisions under its communications procedure on climate change, a 2019 petition was filed by 16 children against Argentina, Brazil, France, Germany, and Turkey, alleging violations of the rights to life, health, and culture.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2020). Children’s Rights Obligations of States in the Context of Climate Change. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CRC.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Children’s Rights Obligations of States in the Context of Climate Change. 2020. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CRC.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Children’s Rights Obligations of States in the Context of Climate Change |date=2020 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CRC.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2020childrens, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Children’s Rights Obligations of States in the Context of Climate Change}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2020}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/CRC.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }