An international conference on ‘human rights and climate change’ will be organised as announced by the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC).
The conference from Feb 21-22 will be held in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the League of Arab States, and the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions.
The conference will bring together more than 300 representatives of countries, international organisations, think-tanks, universities, national human rights institutions, civil society organisations and international experts, who will discuss climate change issues from a human rights perspective and make concrete recommendations for rights-based climate action.
The conference would emphasise the importance of rights-based climate action, highlight relevant good practices for Qatar and other actors and partners, including governments, the UN, civil society organisations and companies, and develop recommendations to enhance cooperation to support rights-based climate action worldwide, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa region.
Chairperson of the National Human Rights Committee, H E Maryam bint Abdullah Al Attiyah said that the conference is an extension of previous international conferences organised by the NHRC, including those events that deal with issues of protecting journalists, digital human rights and combating terrorism.
Al Attiyah said that climate change directly and indirectly affects many internationally guaranteed human rights, adding that the climate crisis is exacerbating and has become one of the most important global issues. She called for effective measures to be put in place to stop climate change, address its harmful effects, which would support rights holders to develop their resilience to the climate emergency.
The three crises of climate change, pollution and nature loss, directly and significantly affect a wide range of rights, including the right to adequate food, water, education, housing, health, development, and even life itself, she said.
