Report from the Bonn Climate Talks, June 2019

This report by the Center for International Environmental Law analyzes the June 2019 Climate Negotiations (SB-50) in Bonn, focusing on the integration of human rights into climate policies, the development of Article 6 mechanisms of the Paris Agreement, and the work of various UNFCCC constituted bodies.

• The SB-50 negotiations failed to resolve a deadlock regarding the IPCC report on 1.5ºC of warming, as Saudi Arabia, the United States, Kuwait, and Russia continued to challenge the report's integrity, mirroring a stalemate from COP-24.
• Negotiations on Article 6 mechanisms of the Paris Agreement revealed deep divisions among Parties, particularly concerning environmental integrity and the necessity of social safeguards. While a single draft was merged for the three mechanisms, the positions of Parties remain largely irreconcilable.
• There was an increase in the number of countries, including the EU, Norway, Costa Rica, Tuvalu, Mexico, and Switzerland, advocating for the inclusion of human rights-based social safeguards and grievance redress mechanisms within Article 6.
• Regarding Article 6.4 (Sustainable Development Mechanism), draft text includes references to respecting human rights and requiring Parties to provide information on consistency with human rights obligations, though this text remains bracketed and contested.
• The review of the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss & Damage (WIM) began at SB-50 with the adoption of terms of reference that emphasize considering segments of the population that are already vulnerable.
• The Paris Committee on Capacity Building (PCCB) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) conducted the first formal workshop in climate negotiations dedicated to human rights, covering just transition, indigenous peoples' rights, and rights-based NDCs.
• Civil society emphasized the importance of the Escazú Agreement, a legally-binding treaty for procedural rights and environmental defenders in Latin America and the Caribbean, urging Chile to ratify it before COP-25.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2019). Report from the Bonn Climate Talks, June 2019. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/HRCC_Roundletter_SB50final.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Report from the Bonn Climate Talks, June 2019. 2019. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/HRCC_Roundletter_SB50final.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Report from the Bonn Climate Talks, June 2019 |date=1 June 2019 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/HRCC_Roundletter_SB50final.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2019report, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Report from the Bonn Climate Talks, June 2019}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2019}, month = jun, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/HRCC_Roundletter_SB50final.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }