States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change

The document analyzes how the CEDAW monitors the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (ICEDAW) to address climate change. It highlights that in 2018, the Committee made climate-related recommendations to 75% of reviewed states, focusing heavily on adaptation (44%) and procedural rights (37%), while mitigation received significantly less attention (7%). The briefing details specific state obligations across four areas: mitigation, adaptation, procedural rights, and international cooperation, emphasizing the role of General Recommendation 37 (GR37) in framing disaster risk reduction with a gender perspective.

• In 2018, the CEDAW issued climate-related recommendations to 75% of the States it reviewed, with a strong emphasis on adaptation (44%) and procedural rights (37%), while mitigation accounted for only 7% of recommendations.
• Mitigation recommendations were rare, issued to only three states (Australia, Fiji, and South Korea), and focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel extraction, and exports.
• General Recommendation 37 (GR37) establishes that states must integrate gender perspectives into disaster risk reduction (DRR) and climate change policies, including the use of gender impact assessments and the protection of marginalized groups such as women with disabilities and indigenous women.
• Regarding procedural rights, the CEDAW requires states to shift toward renewable energy sources, limit fossil fuels and extractive industries like fracking, and ensure private sector actors remedy their impacts on affected groups.

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2019). States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Womens-Rights-Obligations-of-States-in-the-Context-of-Climate-Change-March-2019.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change. 2019. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Womens-Rights-Obligations-of-States-in-the-Context-of-Climate-Change-March-2019.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change |date=2019 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Womens-Rights-Obligations-of-States-in-the-Context-of-Climate-Change-March-2019.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2019states, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2019}, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Womens-Rights-Obligations-of-States-in-the-Context-of-Climate-Change-March-2019.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }