The Global Initiative on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (GI-ESCR) and the Centre for International Environmental Law (CIEL) published the synthesis note on “States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change: Guidance Provided by the UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies”, a flagship annual publication that provides insights on the content of Human Rights Treaty Bodies (HRTBs) outputs in relation to the climate emergency during 2022.

HRTBs are the expert bodies established by the international human rights treaties and mandated to monitor their implementation by the State parties to those treaties. The HRTBs are made up of independent human rights experts elected by the State parties. They have three main activities: reviewing States’ implementation of the relevant human rights treaty (State review process); elaborating General Comments (GCs) or statements that provide guidance to States on the interpretation of the treaty; and adjudicating Individual Communications (complaints of violations of the treaty by a State Party) and issuing decisions.

The synthesis note on States’ Human Rights Obligations in the Context of Climate Change: Guidance Provided by the UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies builds on previous reports published by CIEL and GI-ESCR adding information and analysis on the work of HRTBs on climate change in 2022. Our analysis considers the work of the seven HRTBs whose mandates relate most directly to climate change. This publication is part of the efforts harnessed to make accessible and disseminate the work of HRTB, as well as to provide NGOs, activists, experts and other practitioners with additional tools to advocate for climate action.

You can read the synthesis note here:

You may also consult synthesis notes from previous years:

2021 

2019