Climate Displacement

Planned Relocation: Submission to the Special Rapporteur on the Human Rights of IDPs

Climate Refugees recently provided a submission on displacement and planned relocation in the context of climate change, in response to a call for input from Ms. Paula Gaviria-Betancur, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons.

Based on our field visits and reporting from Miami and Kenya, we hope our submission will be helpful to the Special Rapporteur as she prepares her report to the forthcoming 56th session of the Human Rights Council.

Read the full submission below.

Climate Justice and Loss & Damage: Submission to the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development

In response to a call for input from the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to development, Climate Refugees joined colleagues from the Loss and Damage Collaboration (L&DC) in a submission to inform the Special Rapporteur’s thematic report on climate justice and loss & damage.

Climate Refugees’ contributions to this submission are based on our field work and reporting from Kenya’s Rift Valley. We hope the submission - which can be read in its entirety below as well as on the L&DC site - will be helpful and informative to the Special Rapporteur’s important work in this area.

Submission for the ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is currently considering a request for advisory opinion on the obligations of States when it comes to climate change, a historic case that is the result of a long campaign by youth activists in Vanuatu, who convinced the Government of Vanuatu to lead a resolution at the UN General Assembly. Adopted in March 2023, the resolution formally asked the ICJ to provide clarity on the obligations of States under international law to ensure the protection of the climate and environment, as well as what consequences arise when States fail - whether by act or omission - to do so.

After multiple rounds of written submissions from States and other entities, the Court will commence oral proceedings in late 2024, with the advisory opinion expected in early 2025.

In order to bring attention to the importance of the Court considering climate displacement as part of the proceedings, Climate Refugees submitted - along with several civil society and academic experts - a brief on key issues, which we hope will be useful to Parties as they consider their own positions.

Read the brief we jointly submitted in its entirety below.

Climate Change, Loss & Damage, and Human Rights: Submission to OHCHR

In response to a call for input from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Climate Refugees has provided a submission to help inform the Secretary-General’s analytical study on the impact of loss and damage from the adverse effects of climate change on the full enjoyment of human rights, which will be presented at the Human Rights Committee at its 57th session later this year.

Climate Refugees’ submission is based on field work and subsequent reporting from the Lake Chad Basin, Kenya’s Rift Valley, and Miami (South Florida), as well as recent advocacy efforts on climate change migration and displacement.

Read the full submission to OHCHR below.

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Submission to the Canadian Senate's Study on Forced Displacement and Climate Change

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In November 2023, Climate Refugees Founder and Executive Director Amali Tower was invited to appear before the Canadian Senate’s Human Rights Committee as part of its study on Forced Global Displacement, to testify about the impacts of climate change on migration and forced displacement, particularly as it relates to adverse impacts on human rights.

Tower was invited to testify on a panel with other expert witnesses, and to provide a brief opening statement, followed by questions from committee members.

Climate Refugees was also invited to submit written testimony to the Senate of Canada. Together with other Senate Committee witnesses Dr. Camila Bustos, Assistant Professor of Law at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University and Monica Iyer, Clinical Fellow and Senior Lecturing Fellow, Duke University School of Law, as well as key colleagues working in this field, we have submitted a written brief to the Senate Committee for further consideration.

You can access the brief below.