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Climate change ‘dystopian future already here’, says UN rights chief


Why is it in the news?

  • Recently, the UN rights chief stated that climate change is already causing human rights emergencies in various countries.

Some of the key takeaways

  • Climate change is pushing millions into famine, destroying livelihoods, homes, and lives, with urgent warnings becoming deadly realities globally.
  • Emphasized the need to hold those responsible for environmental damage accountable and combat impunity.
  • Mentioned the dire environmental conditions in Basra, Iraq, with drought, extreme heat, pollution, and water scarcity leading to barren landscapes.
  • The G-20 failed to commit to a fossil fuel phase-out, which are desperately needed.
  • The increasing impact of climate change is causing a surge in migrant deaths, with many going unnoticed.
    • Cited specific incidents of migrant deaths in various regions, including the Mediterranean, English Channel, Bay of Bengal, Caribbean, U.S.-Mexican border, and Saudi border.
  • Expressed concerns about human rights violations in Russia, Pakistan, the Palestinian territory, and raised ongoing issues in China, particularly in Xinjiang.
    • Called for strong remedial action by Chinese authorities regarding the Xinjiang situation and highlighted the continued detention of human rights advocates.
  • Mentioned concerns about the situation in Iran, including harsher penalties for breaching dress codes and the deployment of morality police.
  • Stressed the role of climate change in various human rights situations, including in Africa’s Sahel region.
  • Welcomed the proposal to recognize “ecocide” as an international crime to counter environmental plunder.
·        Ecocide, derived from Greek and Latin, translates to ‘killing one’s home’ or ‘environment’.

·        Although there is currently no universally recognized legal description of ecocide, a group of lawyers convened by an NGO named Stop Ecocide Foundation in June 2021 crafted a definition that would place environmental devastation within the same realm as crimes against humanity.

Ø  According to their proposal, ecocide is defined as “unlawful or reckless actions carried out with the awareness that there exists a substantial probability of causing severe and either extensive or enduring harm to the environment.”


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