environmental rights – Page 6 – International Justice Resource Center

Paris Climate Change Agreement Lauded, but Feared Not Strong Enough

January 8, 2016 IJRC economic, social & cultural rights, environmental rights, human rights defenders, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Special Procedures, Universal system

The 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP21) concluded on December 12, 2015 with the adoption of the Paris Agreement, described as the first universal, legally binding instrument to impose specific obligations on both developed and developing nations to address climate change. [Earth Justice Press Release; BBC] The agreement will

IACHR to Hold Hearings on Four Cases, 53 Rights Topics This Week

October 19, 2015 IJRC children, civil society, democracy & political rights, discrimination, economic, social & cultural rights, enforced disappearance, environmental rights, extrajudicial executions, human rights defenders, indigenous communities, Inter-American System, international human rights, LGBTI rights, privacy, property, reproductive and sexual rights, thought, expression & association, torture, women's rights

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) is holding its 156th session from October 17 to 28, 2015 in Washington, D.C. [IACHR Press Release] The IACHR will conduct public hearings in four cases on its docket, and receive information from States and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the 53 human rights issues, ranging from the human rights situation of LGBTI people,

CESCR Reviews 3 Countries’ Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights Records

February 25, 2015 IJRC children, cultural rights, democracy & political rights, discrimination, economic, social & cultural rights, education, environmental rights, health, indigenous communities, labor rights, property, UN treaty bodies, women's rights

The Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) is holding its 54th session from February 23 to March 6 in Geneva, Switzerland. During the session, this United Nations human rights treaty body will review State reports submitted by the Gambia, Paraguay, and Tajikistan concerning their implementation of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). The CESCR

Some Headway Made at Lima Climate Change Conference

December 17, 2014 IJRC environmental rights, Universal system

Earlier this month, over 190 United Nations (UN) Member States gathered in Lima, Peru to discuss preparations for a new international agreement on climate change, scheduled to be finalized in late 2015 in Paris, France. [UNFCCC: Lima Call] Having reached conclusions on the core elements of the new agreement, the ground rules for States’ individual commitments, and the importance of

UN Climate Summit 2014 Yields Mass Public Mobilization, Political Commitments as Participants Hope to Lay Groundwork for Global Climate Change Treaty

September 24, 2014 IJRC civil society, corporate accountability, environmental rights, UN General Assembly

The much anticipated one-day Climate Summit 2014 took place this Tuesday, September 23 at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York, marking the international community’s latest effort to address climate change. Hosted by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Climate Summit 2014 aimed to engage world leaders and encourage international action to slow climate change. Governments at the Summit were expected

Some Progress toward International Agreement at Warsaw Climate Change Conference

December 2, 2013 IJRC environmental rights, international human rights

The 19th Session of the Conference of Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in Warsaw from November 11 to 23, was designed to bring the international community one step closer to the development of a new international agreement to address climate change. Representatives from the 195 Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

IACtHR Swears in New Judges, Hears Cases on Range of Issues during Ongoing 98th Session

February 6, 2013 IJRC children, crime & impunity, due process & judicial protection, environmental rights, extrajudicial executions, human rights defenders, Inter-American System, international human rights, judicial independence, labor rights, property, reparations, torture

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) is holding its 98th Ordinary Session from February 4 through February 15, 2013 at its seat in San José, Costa Rica. [IACtHR Press Release (Spanish)] During this session, the Court will hear evidence and legal arguments from the parties in six cases pending before it, preside over private hearings on States’ compliance with three previous judgments,

States to Negotiate, Adopt Treaty Regulating Mercury Emissions which Advocates Hope Will Address Health and Environmental Concerns

January 16, 2013 IJRC environmental rights, health, right to life, Universal system

This week, governments are gathered in Geneva to negotiate the final text of an international treaty to regulate the uses and handling of mercury. [WP] In direct response to a 270-page United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report citing a lack of uniform global oversight on mercury emissions, the UNEP Governing Council recognized in 2009 that a legally binding document on

The International Emergence of South Africa and South African Civil Society

December 5, 2011 IJRC civil society, environmental rights, military and humanitarian intervention, reproductive and sexual rights

Adam Nord contributes this post illustrating and reflecting on the growing prominence of South Africa and its developing civil society in international legal affairs of significance for the entire globe. In his position as Lobbying and Engagement Manager at CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation, based in Johannesburg, Adam plays an active role in influencing high-level decision makers with local