Obligaciones de los Estados en materia de derechos humanos en el contexto del cambio climático

This report analyzes the 2022 activities of United Nations Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTBs) regarding state obligations in the context of climate change. It tracks the increasing frequency of climate-related recommendations in state review processes and examines specific trends in mitigation, fossil fuel regulation, adaptation, and the protection of vulnerable groups, including Indigenous Peoples and persons with disabilities.

• Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTBs) have significantly increased their focus on climate change in state reporting procedures. In 2022, there were 95 references to climate change across 184 total pronouncements (52%), a notable increase from 28% in 2019 and 38% in 2020.
• The Human Rights Committee (CCPR) established a landmark precedent in the case of Billy et al. v. Australia, ruling that Australia violated the rights to family and culture (Articles 17 and 27) by failing to implement adequate adaptation measures to protect residents of the Torres Strait Islands from climate-induced damage.
• HRTBs are increasingly linking human rights obligations to the phase-out of fossil fuels. The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) has highlighted the incompatibility of continued fossil fuel use with the Paris Agreement, specifically questioning Australia's support for coal mines and exports.
• The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) emphasizes the disproportionate impact of extractive industries on women. In Namibia, the committee expressed concern over the lack of measures to ensure that oil and gas exploration in the Kavango region does not violate women's and girls' rights to food, health, and drinking water.
• The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) is developing General Comment No. 26, which identifies a safe climate as an essential element of the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. The draft calls for the gradual elimination of coal, oil, and natural gas through investment in renewable energy.
• HRTBs assert that states have extraterritorial obligations to regulate private entities domiciled within their territory to prevent human rights violations abroad. The CRC specifically urged the Netherlands to ensure legal accountability for companies involved in oil extraction operating outside its borders.
• The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) has highlighted the need for inclusive climate mitigation and disaster risk reduction policies. In its review of Japan, the committee noted insufficient consultation with organizations representing persons with disabilities.
• The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has flagged 'environmental racism,' citing the 'Cancer Alley' in Louisiana, USA, as an example of where petrochemical and methanol complexes cause disproportionate health and socio-economic impacts on racial minorities and Indigenous Peoples.
• The CESCR's General Comment No. 26 (2022) on land and economic, social, and cultural rights states that mitigation policies, such as large-scale renewable energy projects or reforestation, must be managed carefully to avoid undermining human rights and must require the free, prior, and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples.

APA

Mingrone, F., Vandamme, L., & Duyck, S. (2023). Obligaciones de los Estados en materia de derechos humanos en el contexto del cambio climático. Center for International Environmental Law. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Obligaciones-de-los-Estados-en-materia-de-derechos-humanos-en-el-contexto-de-cambio-climatico-2023_ES.pdf

Chicago

Mingrone, Francesca, Lien Vandamme, and Sébastien Duyck. Obligaciones de los Estados en materia de derechos humanos en el contexto del cambio climático. Center for International Environmental Law, 2023. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Obligaciones-de-los-Estados-en-materia-de-derechos-humanos-en-el-contexto-de-cambio-climatico-2023_ES.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mingrone |first1=Francesca |last2=Vandamme |first2=Lien |last3=Duyck |first3=Sébastien |title=Obligaciones de los Estados en materia de derechos humanos en el contexto del cambio climático |publisher=Center for International Environmental Law |date=May 2023 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Obligaciones-de-los-Estados-en-materia-de-derechos-humanos-en-el-contexto-de-cambio-climatico-2023_ES.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mingrone2023obligaciones, author = {Mingrone, Francesca and Vandamme, Lien and Duyck, Sébastien}, title = {{Obligaciones de los Estados en materia de derechos humanos en el contexto del cambio climático}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2023}, month = may, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Obligaciones-de-los-Estados-en-materia-de-derechos-humanos-en-el-contexto-de-cambio-climatico-2023_ES.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }