States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change

The document synthesizes the work of UN human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) in addressing climate change, specifically focusing on Concluding Observations issued to States. It highlights that while climate change is not explicitly in key human rights treaties, HRTBs increasingly use their monitoring roles to argue that protecting human rights requires specific climate action. The report details recommendations across several themes, including the disproportionate impacts on women, children, and indigenous peoples, the need for gender-sensitive and child-sensitive climate strategies, and the obligation of some States to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel extraction to meet human rights standards. It provides detailed analysis of the three most active bodies: CEDAW, CESCR, and CRC.

• UN human rights treaty bodies (HRTBs) are increasingly using the State reporting procedure to provide guidance on how international human rights obligations apply to climate change, resulting in a growing body of soft law.
• The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) are the most active HRTBs regarding climate change.
• Climate change disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, particularly rural women, children, and indigenous peoples, necessitating the mainstreaming of gender and child-specific perspectives into national climate and disaster risk reduction plans.
• The CESCR is the only HRTB that has primarily focused its climate-related obligations on industrialized countries, specifically emphasizing the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and review support for fossil fuel extraction.
• HRTBs have recommended that States ensure the active participation of affected populations, including women and children, in climate-related decision-making and policy design.
• There is a recognized link between human rights obligations and international climate frameworks, with committees referencing the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement, and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to interpret State duties.

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/2018/01/HRTBs-synthesis-report.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/2018/01/HRTBs-synthesis-report.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/2018/01/HRTBs-synthesis-report.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/2018/01/HRTBs-synthesis-report.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }