About the organizers:

Created in 2015, the Paris Committee on Capacity-building (PCCB) aims to address current and emerging gaps and needs in implementing capacity-building in developing countries and to further enhance capacity-building efforts. The PCCB has, inter alia, been mandated by the COP, in managing and overseeing the capacity-building workplan 2016-2020 to take into consideration cross-cutting issues, such as gender responsiveness, human rights and indigenous peoples’ knowledge. To implement this mandate, it has established a dedicated working group.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is mandated to promote and protect the enjoyment and full realization, by all people, of all rights established in the Charter of the United Nations and in international human rights laws and treaties. OHCHR is guided in its work by the mandate provided by the General Assembly in resolution 48/141, the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and subsequent human rights instruments, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights, and the 2005 World Summit Outcome Document. OHCHR’s mandate includes preventing human rights violations, securing respect for all human rights, promoting international cooperation to protect human rights, coordinating related activities throughout the United Nations, including at the UNFCCC, and strengthening and streamlining the United Nations system in the field of human rights.

Context:

Human rights and climate change are linked in three key ways:

1. Climate change has implications for the effective enjoyment of the full range of human rights, particularly for people living in situations of increased vulnerability;
2. A failure to integrate human rights into climate action can undermine people’s rights; and
3. The integration of human rights into climate change policies can improve effectiveness and result in benefits for people and the planet. 

Objective:

This half-day workshop, co-organized by the PCCB and OHCHR shed light on the importance of building capacity of countries to integrate human rights into climate action, including in the process of developing and implementing nationally determined contributions (NDCs). It built upon the side event organized by OHCHR, the PCCB and the Mary Robinson Foundation – Climate Justice at COP24, focussing on exploring existing capacity gaps and needs, as well as showcasing success stories, good practices and lessons learned. The event also drew linkages to ongoing work under the Gender Action Plan, Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform, and the work on cities.

The workshop highlighted and discussed concrete capacity-building examples and tools in an interactive format. Participants were invited to actively share their experiences in building capacity for integration of human rights in NDCs and other climate actions. The target audience for the workshop was Party and Non-Party stakeholders, including UNFCCC negotiators, government officials, representatives of non-government and intergovernmental organizations, academia and research institutions, and the private sector.

Outcomes:

The workshop contributed to the following outcomes:

• Increased awareness by participants of the relationship between human rights and climate change
• Review of OHCHR guidelines and good practices for integration on human rights in NDCs 
• Recommendations for human rights capacity building and improved integration of human rights in the work of the UNFCCC.

Programme