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HUMAN RIGHTS ANALYSIS OF THE DOHA GATEWAY (UNFCCC 18TH CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES)
The report evaluates the 'Doha Gateway' decisions from a human rights perspective, noting that while human rights are not explicitly mentioned in the Doha outcomes, they are referenced via the Cancun Agreements. The analysis covers mitigation ambition, loss and damage mechanisms, REDD+ safeguards, the Clean Development Mechanism's lack of appeals processes, public participation under Article 6, and the adoption of 'gender balance' over 'gender equality'.
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Document type: Report
SUBMISSION ON VIEWS REGARDING THE REVISION OF THE CDM MODALITIES AND PROCEDURES
A joint submission by the Human Rights & Climate Change Working Group and various NGOs calling for the CDM to establish institutional safeguards, strengthen civil society participation, and create grievance mechanisms to address human rights violations associated with carbon offset projects.
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Document type: Statement
redd: the realities in black and white
The report critiques 'Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries' (REDD), claiming it risks exacerbating inequality and privatizing forest resources. It highlights how energy companies use REDD for greenwashing while continuing fossil fuel extraction. Through case studies in Indonesia, Mexico, Paraguay, and others, the document illustrates failures in community consultation, the risk of 'leakage' where deforestation simply shifts location, and the danger of including monoculture plantations in carbon accounting. It concludes that REDD should be decoupled from volatile carbon markets and instead based on public funding and the recognition of Indigenous land rights.
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Document type: Report
redd: as realidades em branco e preto
The report critiques the 'Reducing Emissions from Deforestation in Developing Countries' (REDD) mechanism, highlighting how it can exacerbate inequality and privatize forest resources. Through case studies in countries like Indonesia, Mexico, and Paraguay, it demonstrates that REDD projects often exclude indigenous communities from decision-making and serve as a 'greenwash' for fossil fuel and logging companies. The document warns that without reducing demand for agricultural commodities and timber, REDD may lead to 'leakage,' where deforestation simply shifts to other areas, rendering the mechanism ineffective for global climate mitigation.
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Document type: Report
Losing Ground
The report 'Losing Ground' documents the systemic human rights violations associated with the expansion of oil palm plantations in Indonesia. It details how the conversion of customary lands into industrial monocultures leads to land dispossession, violent conflict, and the erosion of indigenous cultures. The authors highlight the economic failure of many smallholder schemes, which often result in debt bondage rather than prosperity, and describe severe environmental degradation, including water pollution and the loss of biodiversity. The document calls for the adoption of the principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and urges European governments to abandon biofuel targets that drive this unsustainable expansion.
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Document type: Report
THE REAL CO$T OF STEEL
The report by the Fair Steel Coalition examines the systemic environmental and human rights abuses linked to ArcelorMittal and Ternium. It identifies 'sacrifice zones' where marginalized communities of color face severe pollution and health risks. The document details case studies of land dispossession in Liberia, air and water contamination in South Africa and Brazil, and a pattern of violence and enforced disappearances of environmental defenders in Mexico. It concludes that corporate sustainability policies are superficial and calls for mandatory due diligence, a just transition in steel production, and accountability for human rights violations.
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Document type: Report
Human Rights Impacts of DecaBDE Pollution on People
The report details how decaBDE, used in plastics and textiles, acts as an endocrine disruptor and neurotoxin, disproportionately affecting children and workers. It frames these health risks as violations of international covenants, such as the ICCPR and CESCR, and calls for a global ban under the Stockholm Convention.
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Document type: Report
Human Rights Impacts of Lead Pollution
The report details how lead pollution causes irreversible health damage, particularly in children, and links these outcomes to violations of international human rights treaties. It highlights specific crises in Nigeria, Kazakhstan, and China, while noting that lead battery manufacturing and recycling are primary global exposure sources.
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Document type: Report
Human Rights Impacts of Phthalates
The report details how phthalates, used as plasticizers in a wide array of consumer and industrial products, act as endocrine disruptors and carcinogens. It highlights the vulnerability of children and fetuses, the risks to occupational workers, and the systemic failure to provide information or remedies to those exposed. The document links these health impacts to violations of international human rights frameworks, such as the ICCPR and CESCR, and notes that while some restrictions exist in the EU and US, DEHP remains widely used globally, particularly in the Global South.
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Document type: Report
Los ftalatos y su impacto en los derechos humanos
The report details how phthalates, used as plasticizers in PVC and other products, act as endocrine disruptors linked to reproductive toxicity, cancer, and developmental issues. It argues that ubiquitous exposure through food, water, indoor air, and medical devices infringes upon human rights, particularly for vulnerable groups like children and workers, and highlights the lack of adequate product labeling and legal remedies for victims.
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Document type: Report
Appendix 1: Case Studies Illustrating the Human Rights Implications of Large-Scale, Internationally-Financed Projects
The document catalogues alleged human rights implications across numerous international projects in sectors such as mining, energy, and forestry. It organizes these cases by the specific right implicated, including the rights to adequate food, housing, health, and life, as well as freedoms from forced labor and torture. The case studies highlight recurring issues such as forced resettlement, environmental contamination of water and land, the use of military force to suppress protests, and inadequate compensation for displaced populations.
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Document type: Case study
civil-society-letter-on-the-clean-development-mechanism-1ad8bd0fdac36165.pdf
A coalition of 61 organizations argues that the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) should be terminated by 2020 to protect the integrity of the Paris Agreement. The authors claim the CDM undermines domestic climate action, has increased global greenhouse gas emissions due to 'junk' credits, and has led to human rights violations and inequitable benefit distribution.
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Document type: Statement
Toxic Takeaways
The report documents a pattern of forced evictions, illegal chemical fumigations, and the criminalization of land defenders in eastern Paraguay, driven by the expansion of industrial soy production. It identifies US traders ADM, Cargill, and Bunge as primary conduits, linking these abuses to European meat processors 2 Sisters and Danish Crown. The document argues that voluntary sustainability initiatives and 'mass balance' certification schemes are insufficient to prevent the import of 'tainted' soy into the EU and UK, and calls for mandatory human rights due diligence legislation.
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Document type: Executive summary
Thousands in DRC could face eviction from Lobito Corridor railway
A Global Witness investigation warns that the rehabilitation of the Lobito Corridor railway in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) threatens low-income residents of Kolwezi with forced evictions. The report highlights a critical gap in legal protections, as the project is governed by the 1977 Law of Expropriation for Public Utility—which only requires compensation—rather than the more stringent 2002 Mining Code. Legal ambiguities regarding land titles, particularly those involving the national rail company (SNCC), and disputes over the width of the railway's buffer zone further expose residents to displacement. The report argues that the EU's Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) could provide a mechanism for accountability for companies like Trafigura and Mota-Engil, provided the law is not weakened by proposed amendments. It concludes with recommendations for the EU, the DRC government, and investors to implement meaningful consultations, independent monitoring, and higher resettlement standards.
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Document type: Report
How the militarisation of mining threatens Indigenous defenders in the Philippines
The report reveals that the Philippines' push to become a leading exporter of transition minerals, such as nickel and copper, is causing significant land loss for Indigenous Peoples and the destruction of critical biodiversity hotspots. It highlights a pattern of state-driven violence, where the military is identified as the primary perpetrator of killings and detentions of land defenders. The document argues that the global shift to renewable energy is fueling a 'green mineral rush' that relies on 'red-tagging' activists and militarising infrastructure, particularly in Mindanao, to facilitate extractive projects.
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Document type: Report
Sanctions gap lets Russian-mined nickel flow to Western markets
Global Witness reports that while the US and UK have banned Russian-origin nickel, the EU has not, creating a loophole where Russian nickel is refined in Finland and then legally exported to the US. The report highlights the environmental degradation and human rights abuses linked to Norilsk Nickel's operations in the Arctic, the company's ties to the Russian military-industrial complex, and the challenges of conducting corporate due diligence in a repressive political environment. It recommends that the EU implement targeted sanctions on Russian nickel, maintain strict thresholds for the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and prioritize circular economy strategies to reduce dependency on Russian minerals.
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Document type: Report
A safe pair of hands?
The report argues that MDBs fail to deliver genuine climate finance due to flawed accounting methodologies that allow fossil fuel-related projects, such as liquefied natural gas (LNG) and waste-to-energy incineration, to be counted as climate action. It highlights a systemic bias toward mitigation over adaptation and a preference for loans over grants, which exacerbates debt in the Global South. Specific analysis of the AIIB and ADB reveals transparency gaps, the inclusion of high-emitting projects in climate portfolios, and a failure to integrate gender equality and human rights into climate finance principles.
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Document type: Report