The Special Representative, Ambassador Drahoslav Štefánek, participated today in the World Forum for Democracy discussion on "Disasters, displacement and climate change".
“There is no doubt that climate change is one of the biggest challenges for human mankind. Climate change can result in climate refugees, displacing thousands, even millions in the future. We have to be visionary, and we have to be prepared”, the Special Representative said.
Already now people are leaving because of hunger or because of natural disasters. The legal recognition of climate refugees is slowly taking shape, and the Special Representative highlighted the most recent case law on this field:
- Last year, there was a breakthrough case in the UN Human Rights Committee, where it ruled that sudden onset events, or slow onset processes, can be a reason for granting refugee status. It was a case against New Zealand where a national of Kiribati complained that rising sea levels was depriving him of land where he could work. The situation could also lead to violence among the population fighting for the best land and the best resources and fresh water.
- In January 2021, there was a case in France where a Bangladeshi national was granted temporary status because of his respiratory problems and diseases, if returned to his home country.
- Also, in September last year, the European Court of Human Rights, gave notice about a case concerning the climate change.
“Climate change and Human rights are more and more interconnected, and our portfolio to care about Human rights of migrants and refugees, will be becoming very much relevant”, the Special Representative concluded.
