BIM Annual Report 2008 - Ludwig Boltzmann Institut für ...

BIM Annual Report 2008
Antidiscrimination, Asylum and Migration
Climate Change and Human Rights: The Status of Climate Refugees in Europe
Summary
This project was selected as one of eight research projects in the context of the “Swiss Initiative to
Commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)” of the
Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. A Panel of Eminent Persons
(e.g. former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson, UN Special Rapporteur on Torture
Manfred Nowak a.o.) elaborated an “Agenda on Human Rights” describing challenges to human
rights – eight areas, which are in need of further research; one of them being “climate change and
human rights“.
The aim of this project is to assess whether or to what extent European States are under a legal obligation
to accept “Climate Refugees”. After having developed a working definition of "climate refugee“, it
is examined whether the current EC asylum acquis and international protection standards (refugee law
as well as international human rights regime) offer adequate protection to such persons. On the basis
of this assessment, recommendations are elaborated in order to improve the situation of “climate refugees”.
http://www.udhr60.ch/research.html
Countries
Persons
involved
European countries
Project leader, researcher
Researcher
Margit Ammer
Lisa Stadlmayr
Contact person
Margit Ammer, margit.ammer@univie.ac.at
Lead
organisation
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute
of Human Rights
Partner
organisations
-
Starting/
end date
October 2008 to May 2009
Funded by
Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (coordination and organisation by the
Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights)
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