PACJA and Rights Group Strengthen Ties

On March 12, 2024, a significant milestone was achieved as The Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance and National Human Rights Institutions officially solidified their collaboration through the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding. This pivotal agreement marks a formal commitment to joint efforts in advancing climate justice initiatives across Africa. The historic event unfolded during a thought-provoking media breakfast conversation titled “Optimizing Action in Pursuit of Climate Justice and Human Rights,” held in Nairobi, Kenya. Delving into crucial discussions, the meeting explored innovative strategies and collective actions to address the pressing issues at the intersection of climate justice and human rights. The intersectionality of climate change and human rights issues is a pressing concern that demands immediate attention. While the human rights regime has evolved, it still falls short in addressing the complexities of climate injustice. Extreme weather events, rising sea levels, and temperature increases directly impact various human rights, including life, health, water, means of subsistence, adequate standard of living, education, property, self-determination, and culture.

Unfortunately, climate change response measures introduce additional challenges, particularly in Africa. Carbon markets contribute to land grabs, depriving communities of production means and dictating land use options. The demand for critical minerals further displaces communities, resulting in a myriad of rights violations, including insecurity.

The existing Special Rapporteur mechanisms and Human Rights Council procedures related to climate change may not offer sufficient safeguards. Gaps in conceptualizing actions and addressing human rights within strict geographies persist, despite the acknowledgment in the Paris Agreement preamble.

To effectively address climate injustice, an international human right to a clean and healthy environment should be developed. This comprehensive approach considers inter-national, inter-generational, and intra-societal injustice.

National Human Rights Institutions, independent bodies mandated to protect and promote human rights, play a crucial role. Collaboration between NHRIs and the climate justice movement is essential for a holistic approach to human rights in the era of climate emergence.

Climate justice movements and human rights actors must work in tandem to optimize impact. Prioritizing profit over people has led to conflicts and struggles, including fights for wildlife as people strive to secure livelihoods and ensure their families’ safety.

Key Steps for Amplifying Impact:

1. Redirecting Political Energies: Constituents across Africa must redirect political energies towards environmental and climate justice issues, emphasizing the importance of protecting forests and holding governments accountable.
2. Education and Capacity Building: Communities need education and capacity building to understand the importance of environmental protection. Despite the lack of proper legal frameworks, communities should remain proactive in addressing climate justice issues.
3. Multilateral Collaboration: Climate justice is a multilateral issue, requiring people to come together for impactful change. Efficient policy implementation is crucial, and financial institutions should develop tracking tools to monitor funds allocated for climate action.
4. Inclusive Decision-Making: Communities should not be relegated as uneducated; instead, they must be actively involved in the decision-making process to ensure their needs are accurately represented and addressed.
5. Media Engagement: The media is crucial in shedding light on climate justice issues and human rights intersectionality. Partner organizations should equip the media to report accurately and objectively, ensuring accountability from concerned parties.

The triple planetary crisis demands a unified effort from climate justice movements and human rights actors. By addressing the intersectionality of these issues, redirecting political energies, promoting education, fostering inclusive decision-making, and engaging the media, we can collectively work towards a more just and sustainable future.