CARITAS AOTEAROA NEW ZEALAND

MEDIA RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

10 December 2015

Human rights ‘non-negotiable’ at Paris Climate Conference

In Paris for the United Nations climate conference, Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand Director Julianne Hickey is deeply concerned that human rights issues have been left out – or significantly downgraded – in the global climate agreement currently being negotiated.

The Draft Paris Outcome released overnight (NZT) currently contains only two references to human rights, both of which are bracketed. This means there is still room for negotiation and the potential for them to be removed entirely.

“It is good to see that reference to specific rights, including the rights of indigenous and vulnerable peoples, is included in the draft preamble. However, the operational part of the agreement is much weaker and this is more likely to remain,” says Mrs Hickey.

“Human rights – the basic right to life and culture – are non-negotiable, and should not be traded away in compromises to protect the interests of the already privileged. It is vital that human rights are fully incorporated into binding parts of the Paris agreement.”

The weakening of food security references in the draft is also of concern to the Caritas director, as there is too much of a focus on food production and distribution. Equally concerning is the removal of food security references in key articles on mitigation and climate finance.

Earlier in the week, Mrs Hickey spoke on climate finance and human rights issues in Oceania at a side event on people, human rights and justice – as one of two representatives from the 165-member Caritas Internationalis confederation.

ENDS

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