Torture is never legal, never justified, and always abhorrent by UN Office for Human Rights (OHCHR) 11:21am 25th Sep, 2024   Nov. 2024    Torture is never legal, never justified, and always abhorrent    Commemoration of the 40th anniversary of the adoption of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.    Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights:    The adoption of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment 40 years ago was a seminal moment in the history of human rights.    It represented – and continues to represent – a powerful, collective commitment by States to prevent and punish one of the most despicable acts perpetrated by human beings.    Torture – the deliberate infliction of physical agony, psychological terror and trauma on defenceless adults and children – is a vile, heinous act that has absolutely no place in our world.    It is never justified; it is always abhorrent; and we have a clear legal and moral duty to prevent it.    Forty years after its adoption, the Convention has been ratified by 174 out of 193 Member States of the United Nations. But for an issue this fundamental, there must be universal ratification and adherence to this treaty by all States.    This important commemoration is a call to action – an opportunity for all States to re-commit to their obligations. Torture is a pestilence, and like any pest, its eradication requires constant vigilance and constant effort. The provisions of the Convention must be implemented tirelessly and faithfully.    Today, this Convention, and the dedication and commitment it demands, are more urgently needed than ever. Our troubled world is becoming more violent and more polarised.    According to statistics of the ICRC, we have over 120 conflicts raging globally, and every one of them is a chaos machine. Hate speech and discrimination are more and more prevalent, and entire communities are scapegoated and denounced.    At the same time, we see a pushback against the time-honoured values and norms of human rights. Even the fundamental principle that nothing ever justifies torture has been repeatedly questioned in recent decades.    The prohibition against torture is a jus cogens norm – a compulsory norm of international law that is absolute. It applies to everyone and every State, regardless of whether they have ratified the Convention.    Torture is never legal and never permitted, under any circumstances. And yet, to profound concern, it continues to blight our world.    It is harrowing to see the extent to which torture arises in our monitoring work and in the reports of my Office, and I fear that reports of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment are increasingly being normalized. This is simply unacceptable. We must reject this trend, completely, categorically and collectively. We cannot allow what should be repulsive and repugnant to become mundane.    Each and every government, regardless of their political affiliation, has a responsibility to prevent and punish torture. Those in power must lead the way. Political leaders must make it crystal clear at the very highest levels that nothing ever justifies torture. They must hold perpetrators accountable – concretely and consistently.    I call on all governments to use the existing international machinery that backs the fight against torture. It offers support not only at the international level, but also through regional and national bodies that can support States in identifying gaps in their laws and policies, helping to prevent torture and ill-treatment, holding perpetrators accountable, and providing redress and rehabilitation to victims.    There is also a broader anti-torture movement that has an important role; when it comes to preventing torture and ill-treatment, when it comes to working towards accountability, and when it comes to supporting victims. Each component of this ecosystem is vital, and each must be fully supported and empowered.    Together, we must keep pushing for universal ratification and effective implementation of the Convention, including by ensuring that all the anti-torture mechanisms are properly resourced.    I have met many victims and survivors of torture throughout my life, and I came away from those meetings deeply saddened by the profound impact torture had on their lives but also inspired by their bravery and resilience.    Torture leaves very deep scars on the mind, body and soul of a person. It represents an intolerable strike against their dignity and humanity.    There is no room for torture in our societies: not in situations of conflict, not in crises, not in counterterrorism. We, as the international community, must reassert zero-tolerance for torture and ill-treatment.    Suzanne Jabbour, Chair of the Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture, said this commemoration served as a sombre reminder of the difficult realities the world was facing.    In conflict zones around the world, one child under the age of five died every four minutes. At this very moment, somebody was being tortured, somebody was silent about it, somebody was allowing torture to happen, and somebody was not accountable for having committed the abhorrent, inhuman, and useless crime of torture. When torture happened, a whole society was tortured, a country was tortured, humanity was tortured.    Alice Edwards, United Nations Special Rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, described a testimony she had heard from victims and survivors, of a bloody and brutalised body, tossed from a police vehicle at night, found by children near their primary school. Each testimony was as heartbreaking as the next, leaving long-term wounds on individuals, their families and society as a whole.    Torture was the ultimate betrayal of a State’s pact with its citizens. It was the antithesis of human rights, democracy and good governance, and peaceful relations between States and peoples.    The Special Rapporteur said too many torturers were getting away with it. This was true of historic cases, but also new cases. Impunity reigned. There had been some progress due to legislative developments and forensics. However, too many cases were not being investigated and prosecuted.    Around 108 States had adopted an explicit crime of torture in their Criminal Code. However, some States still retained laws which were inherently torturous, including corporal punishment laws, laws which permitted solitary confinement beyond 15 days, and laws which allowed police to use torturous equipment.    National implementation was vital; it was about healing for survivors and devastated communities and holding offices to account. A lot more can be done at the national level, and it was States that had those primary responsibilities. They needed to be aware that torture could occur in many forms and at many levels. Universal jurisdiction could not replace the obligations of the authorities; it was not a substitute for national investigations and prosecutions which needed to take place.    Ms. Edwards commended the countries that were making changes and progress, and taking a stand against torture. However, too many States continued to deny torture, deny access to independent observers, and deny citizens the rights to live in peace, security and dignity. All States and public authorities must do better, with the Convention against Torture as the Guide, and its full implementation as the goal.    http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2024/11/turk-torture-never-legal-never-justified-and-always-abhorrent http://www.ohchr.org/en/news/2024/11/committee-against-torture-commemorates-fortieth-anniversary-convention-against-torture http://www.omct.org/en/resources/blog/torture-destroys-communities-an-interview-with-the-un-special-rapporteur-on-torture http://reliefweb.int/report/world/torture-and-other-cruel-inhuman-or-degrading-treatment-or-punishment-note-secretary-general-a79181-enarruzh http://www.ohchr.org/en/special-procedures/sr-torture http://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-against-torture-and-other-cruel-inhuman-or-degrading    http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/10/special-rapporteur-urges-global-action-against-sexual-torture-armed-conflict http://www.ohchr.org/en/documents/thematic-reports/a79181-torture-and-other-cruel-inhuman-or-degrading-treatment-or http://news.un.org/en/interview/2024/10/1156141 http://redress.org/publication/briefing-to-cedaw-on-the-challenges-for-crsv-survivors-to-realise-reparation/ http://www.globalsurvivorsfund.org/why-we-exist/the-issue/ http://www.globalsurvivorsfund.org/latest/articles/reparation-can-address-gender-inequality    Nov. 2024    Justice is not for sale, says Special Rapporteur    A UN expert warned that in a climate of increasing economic inequality, powerful economic actors in many places use their financial clout to infringe on the independence of the judiciary.    “These improper pressures exerted by economic actors include attempts to intervene in processes to determine who becomes a judge and lobbying sitting judges to make them more receptive to their aims”, the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, said in a report to the UN General Assembly.    “Wealthy individuals and corporations also weaponise justice systems to achieve their goals, bringing strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) that masquerade as a defence of private interests, but in fact seek to suppress legitimate criticism, oversight or resistance to their activities,” she said.    Satterthwaite set out an agenda for future investigation and encouraged all States to examine, analyse and close avenues for improper economic influence that have been overlooked.    “Ethics and integrity systems should be strengthened, loopholes closed, and judges, prosecutors and lawyers do their part to address these harms,” she said. “If not, I fear that while some voices are privileged by justice systems, others will be shut out or silenced, with devastating impacts for human rights.”    http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/10/justice-not-sale-says-special-rapporteur http://taxjustice.net/reports/submission-to-special-rapporteur-on-the-independence-of-judges-and-lawyers-on-undue-influence-of-economic-actors-on-judicial-systems/    The independence of judicial systems must be protected in the face of democratic decline and rising authoritarianism: UN expert    A UN expert warned today that the role of independent justice systems in protecting participatory governance has come under attack from political actors who seek to limit or control judicial systems, including through ad hominem attacks by political leaders and the criminalisation of prosecutors, judges, and lawyers.    In her second report to the Human Rights Council, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Margaret Satterthwaite, set out a taxonomy of Government efforts to control judicial systems – from curbing bar associations and manipulating administrative functions to capturing courts and criminalising or attacking justice operators.    The report also explores the vital role played by the legal professionals who comprise the justice system ­– judges, prosecutors, and lawyers, as well as community justice workers – in safeguarding democracy, in the 2024 context in which nearly half the world’s population will vote.    “Justice systems promote and protect a fundamental value that undergirds participatory governance: the rule of law,” the Special Rapporteur said. “This principle insists that all people, even state actors, are subject to the same laws, applied fairly and consistently.    “I call on Member States to do more to revitalise public trust in justice institutions and to defend justice actors and their indispensable role in safeguarding democracy,” she said.    http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/independence-judicial-systems-must-be-protected-face-democratic-decline-and http://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/hrc/regular-sessions/session56/list-reports    17 Oct. 2024    The international financial system is failing to address the catastrophic debt crisis    The international financial system is failing to address the catastrophic debt crisis that is engulfing developing countries and causing misery for hundreds of millions of people, the UN’s poverty expert said today.    “The debt crisis is not just a fiscal issue; it is a full-blown human rights crisis,” said the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Olivier De Schutter, on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.    “In the poorest countries of the world people are struggling to eat, access health services or send their children to school, while their governments shell out billions of dollars to pay back loans to wealthy creditors.    “Making a bad situation worse, countries with the highest levels of debt also tend to be those most vulnerable to climate change, but are being forced to prioritise debt repayments over addressing the severe consequences of the climate crisis.”    The expert warned that rocketing interest rates since the Covid-19 pandemic were sinking countries in the Global South further into debt.    In 2023, a record 54 developing countries allocated 10% or more of government revenue to paying off the interest on their debt, leaving “little room for countries to spend on poverty-busting public services such as education or social protection”. 3.3 billion people live in countries that spend more on interest payments than on either education or health. Interest rates demanded from developing countries are also much higher than those paid by rich countries. African countries borrow money at almost four times the rate paid by the United States, despite the astronomical level of US debt.    “This perverse scenario has been playing out in the Global South for years, accelerating the freefall into poverty seen since the pandemic,” De Schutter said.    “Creditors have responded too little, too late. The G20’s ‘Common Framework’, agreed in 2020 to bring international financing institutions (IFIs), individual states and private lenders together to speed up debt restructuring, is simply not working.”    De Schutter called for immediate debt relief for countries in crisis and urgent reform of the international financial system to align with human rights.    “Banks and hedge funds have become huge players in the world of sovereign debt and should not be exempt from their human rights responsibilities. It is abhorrent that debt repayments to the world’s richest corporations are being paid at the expense of children’s education or healthcare. Governments must introduce legislation to compel private creditors under their jurisdiction to participate in debt relief for low income countries.    “Comprehensive reform of the international financial architecture, as advocated by the recently agreed Pact of the Future, is also needed. The current system within the IFIs, characterised by unequal representation between high and low-income countries, unfavourable lending conditions, and unfair debt restructuring is trapping too many countries in a cycle of poverty.”    The Special Rapporteur lamented the conditions attached to bailout packages from IFIs which, with their demands for austerity measures, sale of state assets and, at times, surcharges already denounced by UN human rights experts, make it near impossible for states to comply with their human rights obligations and lock countries into unsustainable growth patterns that have only worsened poverty and inequality.    “With Pakistan recently agreeing to its 24th bailout from the International Monetary Fund, which hinged on the country accepting what the Prime Minister called ‘conditions beyond imagination’, it is clear that people in poverty will continue to pay the high price of a debt crisis that is not of their making,” the expert said.    “The solution to the debt crisis is neither to stimulate economic growth at all costs, nor to impose austerity policies. It is to cancel or restructure debt, and to focus on public investment, particularly in social protection, that will restore the prospect of long-term prosperity.”    http://www.srpoverty.org/2024/10/17/statement-international-financial-system-not-fit-for-purpose-to-address-catastrophic-debt-crisis-un-poverty-expert/ http://www.eurodad.org/g20_imf_world_bank_fail_debt_crisis    Water is a common good for all    “The water that we extract from nature for various uses must be managed as a common good, a shared good that must be accessible to all, but not appropriated by anyone,” said Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation.    In his report, Arrojo-Agudo frames water as a shared, life-sustaining resource whose management should be the reponsibility of States. States should adopt a human rights-based approach to managing aquatic ecosystems and the water cycle instead of considering water as a commodity that should be managed according to the logic of the market.    “From a neoliberal perspective.. access, use and benefit from water depend on the ability of each individual to pay, while access to information and management are in the hands of the majority shareholders of the corporations in charge of these services,” he explained.    “This not only contradicts the conception of water as a common good but is inconsistent with an approach to water management based on human rights.”    The expert argues for a human rights-based approach to water management by stressing that water is key to the way populations settle in territories, to social cohesion and to coexistence in human societies.    Arrojo-Agudo outlined three ethical priority levels for water usage to assist States in establishing norms and legislation around water management: “water for life,” or water essential to sustain life and human dignity, individually and collectively; “water in functions, uses and services of general interest,” or water uses considered to be of general interest by society; and “water economy,” or water used for productive activities, such as extractive industries and large-scale agriculture, that allow the improvement of peoples’ living standards.    He stressed the importance of ‘subsidiarity’, involving local communities in the governance of water resources, particularly by recognizing water as a common good. “This requires involving and making that community responsible for its management,” the expert said, advocating for non-profit governance nested at the local level, at the basin level and even at transborder and global levels.    He called for stronger international cooperation to protect water resources from the growing threats of climate change.    In his report, Arrojo-Agudo offers a set of recommendations to States on how water and aquatic systems should be managed as a common good. These include strategies that promote the use of water based on principles of non-deterioration, or avoiding toxic discharges into ecosystems that would lead to the deterioration of aquatic systems; restoration, which implies charging the costs of pollution to those who cause it; cost recovery, meaning matching fees for water and sanitation services to the actual cost of the service; and cost-effectiveness, or considering all possible options and adopting the most cost-effective one to achieve goals.    Mr. Arrojo-Agudo also advised on using the universal human rights standards of non-discrimination, equal participation, transparency and accountability in decison making processes.    http://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2024/11/water-common-good-all-says-un-expert http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/10/addressing-global-water-and-food-crisis-crucial-human-rights-says-special    July 2024    Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders    In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor, highlights the contributions made by human rights defenders to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.    In the report, she demonstrates that, across every one of the 17 Goals, human rights defenders are placing human rights at the core of sustainable development and, in doing so, are assisting States in their responsibility to leave no one behind. The Special Rapporteur highlights that this work is being made more difficult by increasing restrictions on the right to defend rights.    http://reliefweb.int/report/world/report-special-rapporteur-situation-human-rights-defenders-a79123-enarruzh    June 2024    Concerted action urgently needed to save fundamental freedoms under attack: Special Rapporteur.    The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association are seriously threatened today, and urgent action is needed to push back and preserve them, a UN Special Rapporteur said.    “We are witnessing widespread, systematic and intensive attack against these rights and civic space broadly, as authoritarianism, populism and anti-rights narratives are increasing,” said Gina Romero, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to peaceful assembly and association.    Romero was presenting the last thematic report prepared by her predecessor, Clement Nyaletsossi Voule, at the 56th session of the Human Rights Council.    The report outlines how governments have instrumentalised the adoption and/or implementation of laws, including so called “foreign agents” laws, to suppress the legitimate exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association. This has been done in combination with intense stigmatising campaigns to silence dissent, civil society, unions, and civic activism, including citizen’s organization and participation in peaceful protests.    “As people around the world have been increasingly exercising these rights to protect their freedoms, to resist autocracy, repression and discrimination, to build peace and democratic and responsive governance institutions, to advocate for climate justice, and express solidarity with those suffering, we witness how governments have been finding innovative ways to silence them and crash these rights,” Romero said.    The spread of armed conflicts, the severe environmental crisis, undermined electoral processes marred by populism and disinformation, and emerging and unregulated digital technologies, exacerbate the threat to the enjoyment of these rights.    “This report is a wake-up call for collective action to protect democracy and our collective values, and the enjoyment of all human rights and freedoms. Enabling civic space, hearing and protecting activists is fundamental to foster civil society contributions for tackling today’s pressing issues.” Romero said.    “I join the report’s call for a global renewed commitment to these rights. Through the establishment of this mandate 14 years ago, the Human Rights Council reiterated its commitment for the protection of these fundamental freedoms, and it is urgent today that the Council reinforce the mandate’s capacity to continue effectively protecting these rights, especially in the emerging crises.”    http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/concerted-action-urgently-needed-save-fundamental-freedoms-under-attack http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/03/un-expert-launches-new-tools-law-enforcement-foster-peaceful-protest    Civil society crucial to combat polarisation and inequality, says Independent Expert    Civil society organisations are the engine of international solidarity and urgently need increased protection and support, a UN Special Procedures mandate holder said today.    “As we confront negative global trends of polarisation, and the highest levels of inequality around the world at present, the need for civil society actions are more urgent than ever,” said Cecilia Bailliet, the Independent Expert on human rights and international solidarity, in a report to the Human Rights Council.    Civil society actions include intersectoral solidarity approaches combining issues such as protection of the environment, access to fair housing, and women’s rights.    “These International Solidarity coalitions challenge injustice and call for transformative changes within political and economic structures, seeking to empower the agency of vulnerable individuals and groups,” Bailliet said.    She criticised “the expansion of the use of censorship, disinformation, harassment, blacklisting, doxing, deportation, denial of entry or exit visas, defunding, red-tagging, criminal prosecution (including as foreign agents), denial of access to education, surveillance, asset freezing, defunding, overly broad restrictive registration and reporting of CSOs, and blocking of access to digital platforms to block the exchange of international solidarity ideas under the guise of security”.    “I believe that States should choose to pursue best practices of international solidarity policies, which would include showing clemency to opposing voices within our societies. Social solidarity governmental institutions should protect, rather than disempower, civil society organisations,” Bailliet said.    She called for the creation of a UN Digital International Solidarity Platform to exchange solidarity ideas and the adoption of the Revised Draft Declaration on International Solidarity.    http://www.ohchr.org/en/node/109103    Academic freedom just as crucial as a free press or independent judiciary, says Special Rapporteur    In every region of the world, people exercising their academic freedom face repression, whether through direct and violent or more subtle methods, an independent expert warned today.    In her report to the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur on the right to education, Farida Shaheed, said restrictions aimed to control public opinion undermine free thinking and limit academic and scientific debate.    “We must take this seriously as these attacks threaten both our democracies and our capacities to collectively respond to crises humanity currently faces,” Shaheed said.    “Academic freedom must be understood and respected for its role for our societies, which is as crucial as a free press or an independent judiciary.”    The Special Rapporteur said academic freedom carries special duties to seek truth and impart information according to ethical and professional standards, and to respond to contemporary problems and needs of all members of society. “Therefore, we must not politicise its exercise,” she said.    “A multitude of actors are involved in the restrictions, from Governments to religious or political groups or figures, paramilitary and armed groups, terrorist groups, narco-traffickers, corporate entities, philanthropists, influencers, but also sometimes the educational institutions themselves as well as school boards, staff and students, and parents’ associations.”    Shaheed said that institutional autonomy is crucial for ensuring academic freedom; however, academic, research and teaching institutions also must respect it.    “Institutions must respect the freedom of expression on campus according to international standards and carry a specific responsibility to promote debate around controversies that may arise on campus following academic standards.”    Referring to student protests on the Gaza crisis that occurred in a number of countries, Shaheed said she remained deeply troubled by the violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators, arrests, detentions, police violence, surveillance and disciplinary measures and sanctions against members of the educational community exercising their right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.    Shaheed called for endorsement and implementation of Principles for Implementing the Right to Academic Freedom, drafted by a working group of United Nations experts, scholars, and civil society actors, based on and reflecting the status of international law and practice.    “I believe implementing these Principles would allow a better state of academic freedom worldwide,” she said.    http://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/academic-freedom-just-crucial-free-press-or-independent-judiciary-says    Mar. 2024    Measures for minimizing the adverse impact of climate change on the full realization of the right to food, by Nada Al-Nashif United Nations Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights at the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council:    The triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss continues to generate massive human rights violations around the world.    It contributes to conflicts that batter people's lives and rights. To displacement, which drives them from their homes and lands. And to hunger and starvation that create unbearable suffering, stunt children's growth, making both children and adults more vulnerable to disease –ultimately, destroying lives and livelihoods.    Our world has the capacity to feed everyone. No-one in this 21st century should have to go hungry. And yet, despite the world's pledge to create a world free of hunger by 2030, over 783 million people – over 9% of the world's population – endured chronic hunger last year, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). More than 333 million people faced acute levels of food insecurity – an increase of almost 200 million compared with pre-pandemic levels. Others faced famine, and even starvation. So, instead of meeting our Sustainable Development Goal of zero hunger by 2030, FAO estimates that in 2030, despite some progress, at least 600 million people will still be suffering from hunger. Climate change is among the chief drivers of this hunger crisis.    Sudden and slow-onset events, such as heatwaves, droughts, sea-level rise, and flooding wreak havoc on crops and systems for producing and delivering all food – generating loss and damage for the communities that support and depend on them.    When the High Commissioner visited Iraq last year, he witnessed first-hand how the worst drought in 40 years has created a crisis of water scarcity, destroyed livelihoods and traditions that are dependent on agriculture and fishing, and turned parts of the ancient fertile crescent – which has been a lush food source for over 10,000 years – into crumbling, barren dust.    The deterioration of local food systems and livelihoods dependent on a safe and stable climate can drive displacement. Our research in the Sahel found that diminishing access to food and livelihoods in agriculture, pastoralism and fishing acted as a driver of migration. It highlighted gendered impacts of climate change while underscoring that building climate resilience, including through social protection systems, can often reduce the risk of forced displacement.    Unjust systems of land distribution also need to be addressed. States need to recognize the rights of Indigenous Peoples, of peasants, of those in situations of poverty and vulnerability, other groups also, to own, access, and sustainably use lands and resources, and adopt agrarian reform measures as and where appropriate.    The climate emergency is upon us. The dystopian future, a world with suffering and injustice that we could not have imagined, is now. The outcome of the first global stocktake under the Paris Agreement, adopted in December at the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, recognized the priority of safeguarding food security, given the vulnerability of food production systems to the adverse impacts of climate change. This acknowledgment is crucial. And it must be followed by action.    Our report A/HRC/55/37 details human rights-based measures that can help to minimize the impacts of climate change on people's right to food and of current food systems on climate change. Social and economic systems intersect with climate change to generate disproportionate food insecurity for specific groups. The report demonstrates how human rights measures, including within food systems, can address this loss and damage caused by climate change.    First, we need rights-based action to mitigate climate change starting with a transition to sustainable, equitable and climate-resilient food systems and we need to prevent industrial agricultural production from further fuelling climate change. The current economic paradigm creates a vicious cycle: climate impacts deepen food insecurity, while overreliance on industrial food systems exacerbates climate change and the vulnerability of communities.    Concretely, we need measures to reduce food systems emissions including with respect to production, consumption, diet, and food waste and loss. These measures must be fair, taking into account the current and historical responsibility of States and businesses in causing climate change, as well as their respective capacities for action.    Second, to better protect people impacted by climate change, all countries need to advance universal social protection. The climate crisis clearly exacerbates patterns of poverty, of inequalities and of food insecurity. And social protection can ensure people continue to have access to quality food, supporting cohesive and resilient societies in the face of crisis.    Third, it is crucial to ensure that businesses act responsibly to address climate change and its impact on the right to food. The UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights require accountability. They need to be applied by States and businesses, ensuring respect for all human rights throughout their business operations and value chains.    Fourth, financing must be mobilized, and appropriate economic and trade policies adopted to fulfil the right to food. It is crucial to safeguard the fiscal space for key investments in human rights. Currently, some 3.3 billion people – almost half of humanity – live in countries that spend more money paying interest on their debts than on education or health. International financial institutions are in need of swift reforms, as we have often said. And States need to cooperate to enable economic policies that can protect the right to food.    Fifth, as the Council and the General Assembly have emphatically declared, all people have a right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Transitioning to sustainable food systems that are better grounded in natural processes can help to ensure sustainable food security for all. Examples include agroecology; regenerative agriculture; soil rehabilitation techniques; and management of fisheries to sustain healthy and resilient ecosystems. Such approaches preserve biodiversity, reduce the use of chemicals and fossil fuels, and produce healthier food.    Several States have shared examples, including financial schemes to boost local food production by cooperatives; promotion of agroecology and collective custody of biocultural heritage, as part of national action to adapt to climate change; and efforts to empower fisheries communities to pursue sustainable livelihoods. And these are all encouraging steps.    We are the generation with the most powerful technological tools yet. As such, we have the ability to reverse this trend. I call on all Governments to meet their responsibility and act now to realise the universal right to food and uphold the right to a clean, healthy and sustainable environment. Let us join forces in a spirit of solidarity and shared humanity.    http://www.ohchr.org/en/statements-and-speeches/2024/03/deputy-presents-offices-report-climate-change-and-right-food Visit the related web page
	Next (more recent) news item
	Next (older) news item