[WHRCF NEWSLETTER]세계인권도시포럼 뉴스레터 12월호

[WHRCF NEWSLETTER]세계인권도시포럼 뉴스레터 12월호_en

2022. 12. 9.

[WHRCF NEWSLETTER]세계인권도시포럼 뉴스레터 12월호_en

WHRCF Newsletter_December❄️

You can feel the freezing wind as soon as you step outside - The winter season is in full swing. We hope you have a restful time at the end of the year reflecting on the good memories of 2022 and recharging for the coming year of 2023.

In the December issue, we are bringing some noteworthy remarks from our distinguished speakers of the 12th WHRCF underlining the importance of protecting and promoting human rights against the climate crisis. We also would like to draw your attention once again to the 12th WHRCF declaration with four points of action plans we committed to working on together to fight the climate crisis. Here is also a short documentary film produced by the local broadcasting station, Gwangju MBC, capturing lively and bustling moments of the 12th WHRCF. (No English subs are available for now, but we hope you enjoy the vibes!)

💬 Remarks from our Speakers

Peggy Hicks

Director, Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Rights to Development Division, UN Human Rights

"First, cities should commit to meeting the international target of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Second, cities should foster climate change resilience by putting human rights, particularly the rights of people in vulnerable situations, at the center of climate policies and actions. Third, the city should work to increase international cooperation and solidarity among local governments taking into consideration the disproportionate burden that some localities face."

Francisco Vera

Environmental Activist, Guardians of Life

"Education could play a pivotal role in enhancing human rights and curving climate change. Also, it could provide citizens with tools to fight climate change. In the face of climate change, people could learn how to effectively respond to it only when learning is premised"

Mr. Ian Fry

UN Special Rapporteur on climate change

"The connection between cities, climate change and human rights is very strong. This can be viewed from two perspectives. First, the impacts of climate change on people living in cities, and the effects of these impacts have on the enjoyment of human rights. Second, the contribution of cities to climate change."

Arnold Kreilhuber

Deputy Director, Law Division, UN Environment Programme

"There is no national boundary for environmental harm. The Climate crisis goes beyond national borders, we've observed rights holders claiming their rights at many different levels at the local, national and international levels. The international community finally should accelerate the implementation of the environmental rule of law to address climate injustice and promote human rights. Environmental rule of law highlights environmental sustainability by connecting it with fundamental rights and obligations. Environmental rule of law also provides a foundation for environmental rights, including the rights to access information to participate in environmental decision-making, and access to justice."

Irací Hassler

Mayor, Santiago de Chile

"We have been committed to responding to climate crisis in a sustainable manner. We have to work with stakeholders from various sectors home and abroad in order to mitigate climate change and carbon emission at the same time. Among various efforts, what matters most is the role of community. That is because local communities are able to take and scale up various actions every day in responding to crisis. Especially, the role of schools is also significant. Currently, schools have conducted various sports and education related initiatives in many local communities. Also, schools have provided local communities with environmental education programs."

LEE Nagyung

Activist,

Youth Climate Emergency Action

"Whenever climate disasters happen, the absence of public system, on which we have turned blind eyes so far, is exposed. When asked what does climate just mean, I would say it is to stop depriving us of our livelihood. The appearance of climate justice that could secure everyone’s livelihood might be the appearance of human rights cities."

Morten Kjaerum

Director, Raoul Wallenberg Institute

One task is how to introduce a systematical way to integrate human rights in all the aspects of the planning to capture that wider group of human rights. Another task, which is intimately linked to the first one is the divide between silos of thinking and action, as well as joining of policies and actions from the local to the national level. On the latter, too many initiatives are getting lost or actually losing effect due to poor communication between the various levels of governance from the national to the regional, to the local. And then again, rights could be better, respected, protected, and fulfilled, if the interaction and dialogue between the silos at the local level could be improved.

KANG Gi-jung

Mayor, Gwangju Metropolitan City

"The target of human rights struggle changes. In the past, in human rights struggles, anti-dictatorship movement was a kind of necessary condition. Recently, however, we have come to a conclusion that there must be a struggle against climate crisis to move forward as a sufficient condition."

The participants of the 12th World Human Rights Cities Forum in 2022 promised to work together on the action plans stated in the declaration. The full text will be revealed soon on the official website after the final edit.

We commit to integrating a human rights-based approach in the development of laws, policies and action plans related to tackling the climate crisis.
We commit to promoting climate justice through citizen engagement and inclusive governance.
We commit to sharing relevant knowledge, resources and good practice through dialogue, cooperation and collaboration at local and global levels.
We commit to making use of existing frameworks, including the UNESCO Declaration on Ethical Principles in relation to climate change, and to contribute to the development of additional resources and tools, such as the OHCHR guidelines on using a human rights approach in local governance.

The 12th WHRCF Evaluation Meeting

We are organizing a formal evaluation meeting on Decemeber 13th, and we are planning to get the feedback from our partners on this year's Forum as well as discuss the way forward to improve the Forum in the coming years.

Human Rights Day

December 10th is celebrated as a Human Rights Day. It is a day when back in 1948, the UN General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the inspiring document which, for the first time, proclaims that everyone around the world are entitled for fundamental human rights and these must be universally protected.

Article 1. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

This year marks the 75th anniversary of UDHR and this year’s Human Rights Day slogan is “Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All” and the call to action is #StandUp4HumanRights.

We, at the Secretariat, support the Campaign and stand up for our rights and those of others.