Climate Emergency and Human Rights: The Relevance of the Inter-American System
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Chile and Colombia have submitted a request for an advisory opinion to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights regarding the climate emergency. Therefore, understanding and acting at the intersection of climate change and human rights has never been so critical. Anyone in the world can participate in this consultative procedure, and we are working to get more and more young people from the Americas actively involved in it.
That's why, on August 30th, we organized with the Costa Rican Association of International Law the dialogue: "Climate Emergency and Human Rights in the Inter-American System." Our goal was to connect young students and lawyers with experts and promote a deeper understanding of how human rights and climate change are intertwined.
Who provided insights? Gisela De León, Legal Director of CEJIL; Natalia Castro, lawyer of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; Gladys Martínez, Executive Director of AIDA; Dr. David R. Boyd, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment; and Adrián Martínez, Director of La Ruta del Clima.
The dialogue provided tools and perspectives for young lawyers and law students to understand the relevance and opportunity of participating in the advisory proceedings on climate emergency and human rights before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. José Pablo Díaz, from the Youth and Climate Change Network of Costa Rica, stated, "Youth play a crucial role in establishing the rights of present and future generations in the face of the effects of climate change. Major emitters must take responsibility for their actions, and States must address social and climate injustices. The time is now!".
