Human rights, climate change and cross-border displacement: the role of the international human rights community in contributing to effective and just solutions

The Policy Brief is primarily aimed at a human rights audience, and intends to both inform human rights policymakers and provide guidance on how international human rights law, institutions and mechanisms might contribute to more effective, just and sustainable policy responses (at the international and national levels) to climate change and crossborder displacement.

It reflects primary and secondary research; the outcome of a meeting during the 25th session of the Human Rights Council (the Council) on the ‘human rights implications of displacement in the context of disasters’ organised by the URG, the Nansen Initiative on Disaster-Induced Cross-Border Displacement (the Nansen Initiative) and the Governments of Costa Rica, Norway and Switzerland; and a range of interviews with state delegates, and other stakeholders, dealing with human rights, climate change and displacement.

Part I describes past progress, driven by the international human rights community, to establish and leverage the relationship between human rights and climate change, and explains key contemporary debates as well as challenges to further progress. Part II looks at the particular case of cross-border displacement in the context of climate change and disasters, which has often been raised as an issue of concern in the Council but has never been grasped in a meaningful way. Part III offers ideas and recommendations for future action.