States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change

The CERD increased its climate-related outputs in 2023, focusing on the disproportionate impacts of climate change on Indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities in several countries. The Committee emphasized the need for adaptation measures to consider specific ethnic needs and the importance of free, prior, and informed consent for extractive projects. Additionally, the Committee's draft General Recommendation No. 37 highlighted the negative health outcomes of climate change, including heat-related illness and mental health impacts, which disproportionately affect racial and ethnic minorities.

• In 2023, the CERD increased its climate-related outputs to seven, up from three in 2022, addressing the effects of climate change and policies on Indigenous peoples and ethnic minorities in Bolivia, Niger, Philippines, Russian Federation, and Senegal.
• The Committee identified that climate change can lead to the denial of Indigenous Peoples' rights to their traditional lands, natural resources, food, and a sustainable environment, specifically noting this in its Concluding Observations (COB) to the Russian Federation.
• The CERD stressed that climate change adaptation measures must account for the specific needs of the most affected ethnic groups and called for measures to protect the customs and traditional ways of life of Indigenous Peoples from climate impacts.
• The Committee expressed concern over forced displacement caused by climate-related disasters and large-scale development or extractive projects, particularly as these affect minority groups, as seen in its COB to the Philippines.
• Draft General Recommendation No. 37 links climate change to negative health outcomes—including heat-related issues, air pollution, and mental health impacts—and notes that racial and ethnic minorities are disproportionately affected. It suggests that states should consider temporary waivers of intellectual property protections on healthcare technologies to mitigate these disparate impacts.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (n.d.). States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/HRTB-Synthesis-Note-2024_CIEL_GIESCR_Committee-on-the-Elimination-of-Racial-Discrimination-CERD.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change. n.d. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/HRTB-Synthesis-Note-2024_CIEL_GIESCR_Committee-on-the-Elimination-of-Racial-Discrimination-CERD.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/HRTB-Synthesis-Note-2024_CIEL_GIESCR_Committee-on-the-Elimination-of-Racial-Discrimination-CERD.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallawndstates, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/HRTB-Synthesis-Note-2024_CIEL_GIESCR_Committee-on-the-Elimination-of-Racial-Discrimination-CERD.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }