A virtual workshop on ‘Climate Justice and Human Rights in the Caribbean: Loss and Damage, Debt and Financial Policies’ took place on August 29, organised by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the Office of the Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights (REDESCA). Among the panellists were the President of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Roberta Clarke; the Ambassador of Grenada to the OAS, Mr. Tarlie Francis; and Javier Palummo, the Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights of the IACHR. The workshop was attended by more than 90 representatives from civil society organisations, activists and environmental rights defenders from the Caribbean and Latin American countries.

The workshop aimed to raise awareness about the significant impact of climate change on the economic, social, cultural and environmental rights of Caribbean populations. It underscored the urgent need for a rights-based approach to climate action, focusing on those most vulnerable to climate change’s adverse effects.

Magdalena Sepúlveda Carmona, Executive Director of the Global Initiative for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR), highlighted the disproportionate impact of climate-related events on women. She stressed the importance of integrating a gender perspective into the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy. ‘A just energy transition must prioritise women’s rights and address gender inequalities’, she noted, pointing out that women often bear the brunt of climate disasters due to existing systemic inequalities.

In her presentation, Magdalena also addressed financing issues, highlighting the opportunities available to Caribbean countries if they join the Regional Platform for Tax Cooperation for Latin America and the Caribbean. This platform serves as a regional forum where countries can develop common positions and solutions to ensure that tax cooperation benefits nations in the Global South.

She also discussed the current developments in the United Nations Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation negotiations. This Convention represents a significant shift in how international taxation is approached, potentially impacting the architecture of global financial systems significantly. This UN process has the potential to establish transparent international tax rules and procedures that respond to the needs, priorities and capacities of developing countries, including the Caribbean and Latin American countries.

Discussions also covered the need for policy changes by International Financial Institutions (IFIs) to support debt restructuring and effectively implement the Loss and Damage Fund. This fund aims to provide financial assistance to developing countries facing the irreversible impacts of climate change, recognising the need for equitable solutions and climate justice for those who are least responsible for but most affected by climate change. Such measures are crucial for Caribbean states to recover from climate-induced damages while promoting sustainable development.