UN policy regime demanded for climate forced migrants

Risingbd Desk: Twenty civil society organizations from Asia,  Africa, Latin America and Pacific have organized a seminar today at Le Burget, Paris, France, titled “Climate Forced Displacements: Rights and Obligations” where  speakers have given emphasis on new global order and dedicated UN policy regime for climate induced displaced people.

 

They have urged text in Paris Agreement following the content agreed under Cancun Adaptation Framework’s paragraph 14 subparagraphs F. 

 

The seminar was moderated by Rezaul Karim Chowdhury of EquityBD, key note presentation was delivered by Ziaul Haque Mukta of CSRL and EquityBD. Panelists were Anotonie Gerrard from UN’s World Humanitarian Summit,  Caorlina Hernandez from UN Office of High Commissioner on Human Rights, Professor Walter Kaelin from The Nansen Initiatives which is a Special Envoy of the Governments of Switzerland and Norway, Nick Dearden from Global Justice Now UK, Lena Brenn from Norwegian Refugee Council,  Mithika Mwenda from  Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, Gouri Prodhan from LDC Watch,  Sharmind Neelormi of CSRL Bangladesh, Soumaya Dutta from CCB India, Jahangir Hasan Masum of CDP  and Dr. Hasan Mahmud Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Environment and Forest of Bangladesh.

 

Anotonie Gerrad of World Humanitarian Summit of UN said climate forced migrants is a security agenda for future so it should draw attention from the global leaders, it is a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, all states must devise new global strategy to respond this crisis.

 

Professor Walter Kaelin said that the global consultation of states which have had happened in Geneva in last October, there was a good wishes from state leaders to go for new global order and policy regimes, same good wishes should prevail in Paris climate conference too.  Carolina Hernandez from the UN office on Human Right Commissioner said Paris Agreement must address the rights of life and livelihoods of climate forced migrants.

 

Nick Dearden from Global Justice Now of UK said that Europe and developed countries has been benefited from immigrants, and it is due to their high level of carbon emission the issue of climate forced migrant issue emerged, so the developed countries must take responsibilities in this regard.

 

Dr. Hasan Mahmud, Chairman Parliamentary Standing Committee on Ministry of Environment and Forest of Bangladesh mentioned that Bangladesh will push for the inclusion of climate forced migration issue in Paris Agreement for its solution at all level including national, regional and international level. He urged that 1951 refugee convention should be rewritten now. Ziaul Hoque Mukta of CSRL and EquityBD in his key note presentation proposed for appropriate human rights based treatment for climate forced migrants at local, national, regional and international level. Rezaul Karim Chowdhury, the moderator of the session, concluded that the issue shouldn’t be a UNFCCC agenda only; it is time to spread the issue in other UN and multilateral forums.

 

risingbd/Dec 6, 2015/Rezaul Karim Chowdhury/Nasim