Integrating Human Rights in Climate Action

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law describes the 2018 Talanoa Dialogue, a facilitative process designed to raise climate ambition and inform future Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. The document provides a roadmap for civil society and indigenous peoples to integrate human rights, gender equality, and just transition principles into the dialogue's narrative through a specific, story-based methodology.

• The Talanoa Dialogue is a facilitative process organized throughout 2018 to increase climate ambition by reviewing progress toward Paris Agreement goals and informing the preparation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) due in 2020.
• The dialogue utilizes a specific Pacific tradition called "Talanoa," which prioritizes consensus, empathy, and the sharing of stories over adversarial or contentious negotiations. The process is structured around three guiding questions: "Where are we?", "Where do we want to go?", and "How do we get there?"
• The process is divided into four stages: a preparatory phase for written inputs (January to October), in-session dialogues in Bonn (April/May), a period of complementary inputs influenced by the Global Climate Action Summit and an IPCC report (May to October), and a final political phase at COP-24 in December 2018.
• The Fijian presidency has indicated that submissions will be rejected if they do not adhere to the Talanoa approach, specifically those that attempt to "name, shame, and blame" specific actors.
• The briefing argues that the Talanoa Dialogue provides a strategic opportunity to frame climate ambition beyond greenhouse gas reductions to include human rights, the rights of indigenous peoples, gender equality, food security, a just transition, and ecosystem integrity.
• To maximize impact, civil society organizations are advised to submit collective, concise, and actionable inputs, focusing on real-world testimonies and the third guiding question regarding how rights integration enhances future ambition.
• The final political phase of the dialogue in Katowice, Poland, is expected to differ from the Fijian approach, as the Polish presidency has indicated that ambition was not their priority for the COP.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2018). Integrating Human Rights in Climate Action. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Note_TalanoaDialogue_Rights4Ambition.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. Integrating Human Rights in Climate Action. 2018. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Note_TalanoaDialogue_Rights4Ambition.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=Integrating Human Rights in Climate Action |date=March 2018 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Note_TalanoaDialogue_Rights4Ambition.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2018integrating, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{Integrating Human Rights in Climate Action}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2018}, month = mar, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Note_TalanoaDialogue_Rights4Ambition.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }