GGCA Gender and Climate Change Training Manual - Women's ...

Table 1. Summary of the major legal instruments
HUMAN RIGHTS
UN Human Rights Council
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Main inputs
At its seventh session in March 2008, the UN Human Rights Council
adopted by consensus a resolution on Human Rights and Climate
Change, in which the concern was expressed that climate change
poses an immediate and far-reaching threat to people and communities
around the world and has implications for the full realization of human
rights. The Office of the High Commissioner was encouraged to carry
out an analytical study of the relationship between climate change and
human rights.
UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Main inputs
In September 2007, after more than 20 years of negotiation, the United
Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (DECRIPS)
was finally adopted.
Specific text
DECRIPS specifically prohibits discrimination against women (Article
22.2), providing that all the rights and freedoms recognized in the
declaration be guaranteed equally to male and female indigenous
people (Article 44). This sets a standard which should inform the
implementation of the Declaration.
Article 18 states that “indigenous peoples have the right to participate
in decision making in matters which would affect their rights, through
representatives chosen by themselves in accordance with their own
procedures…”
Article 32 reiterates, “indigenous peoples have the right to determine
and develop priorities and strategies for the development or use of
their lands or territories and other resources.”
World Conference on Human Rights
Main inputs
At the 1993 World Conference on Human Rights in Vienna, 171 states
adopted the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action.
Specific text
Article 11 of the Declaration states, “The right to development should
be fulfilled so as to meet equitably the developmental and environmental
needs of present and future generations.” The outcome documents
urge treaty monitoring bodies to include the status of women and the
human rights of women in their deliberations and findings, making
use of gender-specific data. It also urges governments and regional
and international organizations to facilitate the access of women to
decision-making processes.
Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW)
Main inputs
Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against
Women (CEDAW) was adopted in 1979 by the General Assembly of the