Male’ Declaration on the Human Dimension of Global Climate Change

The Male’ Declaration on the Human Dimension of Global Climate Change is a statement adopted on 14 November 2007 by representatives of Small Island Developing States. It asserts that climate change poses a fundamental threat to human rights and calls for urgent international action to stabilize the global climate and assess the human rights implications of environmental degradation.

• The representatives of Small Island Developing States identify climate change as an immediate and far-reaching threat to individuals, communities, and the environment, noting that impacts are increasing in magnitude and frequency. They highlight that atoll states, low-lying coastal areas, and small islands are especially vulnerable to sea-level rise, precipitation changes, ecosystem alterations, and natural disasters.
• The document argues that climate change directly threatens the full enjoyment of several fundamental human rights, specifically mentioning the rights to life, food, an adequate standard of living, property, participation in cultural life, and the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health.
• The Declaration requests that the international community commit to a formal process in Bali to establish a post-2012 consensus. The goal is to stabilize the global climate by keeping greenhouse gas concentrations below 450ppm and ensuring temperature increases remain well below 2°C above pre-industrial averages.
• The signatories call for institutional action from the United Nations to address the human dimension of climate change. This includes requesting the UN Human Rights Council to hold a debate in March 2009 and asking the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to conduct a detailed study on how climate change affects human rights.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2007). Male’ Declaration on the Human Dimension of Global Climate Change. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Male_Declaration_Nov07.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Male’ Declaration on the Human Dimension of Global Climate Change. 2007. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Male_Declaration_Nov07.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Male’ Declaration on the Human Dimension of Global Climate Change |date=14 November 2007 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Male_Declaration_Nov07.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2007male, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Male’ Declaration on the Human Dimension of Global Climate Change}}, publisher = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2007}, month = nov, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Male_Declaration_Nov07.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }