Written by Niamh Purcell, Youth Climate Justice Advisor for CRIN & RtHE Campaign; Children’s Participatory Rights Advisor.

Introducing climate justice into international law is the step that we need, because it means that courts will have to formally recognise the ways in which climate change impacts on human rights and human lives. It means that the crisis can no longer be ignored, or that mitigation can be kicked down the road. It will have to be dealt with, and not just in the short-term or with half-hearted efforts: it’s going to help close the gap between our future and our present. It’s going to save lives.” – Niamh Purcell

CRIN’s latest report shows how all stages of the UK's counter-terrorism system threaten children’s rights in chilling ways. From pre-criminal, to pre-trial, to trial and sentencing, we need reforms and approaches that genuinely protect children.

The landmark Advisory Opinions from the International Court of Justice and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights may have fundamentally reshaped States’ legal obligations on climate action. In this article, CRIN analyses both recent Advisory Opinions through a children’s rights lens, highlighting the often-overlooked position of children in climate policy and decision-making.

The world is witnessing a genocide in Gaza. In addition to the extreme loss of life, restrictions on humanitarian access and forced displacement, Gaza has also suffered devastating environmental degradation and is being impacted by the climate crisis. CRIN's latest briefing considers the combined impact of Israel’s bombardment since 7 October 2023, environmental degradation and climate change on Gaza’s children, as well as the need for international legal action to address the effects.

Before COP30 in November, CRIN is critically reviewing the Just Transition Work Programme (JTWP) and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) of States: two initiatives aimed at enhancing the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). How can UN climate talks ensure both children’s rights and human rights are centred when discussing societal, sectoral and economic change?

Amid overwhelming evidence of Israel’s atrocities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, human rights organisations and trade unions are urging the EU to ensure a thorough review of Israel’s compliance with article 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. A credible review can only reach one conclusion: that Israel is in severe non-compliance with article 2 and that the EU-Israel Association Agreement must be suspended, at least in part. The EU must act now.

While the EU has banned many pesticides deemed too dangerous for use within its borders, EU-based companies are still allowed to manufacture and export banned substances to countries with weaker protections. This toxic double-standard violates children's rights, endangers vulnerable communities and threatens ecosystems all over the world.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is at a breaking point. In marginalising vulnerable States, Indigenous Peoples and civil society, while allowing the largest historical polluters to avoid legal obligations and accountability, the UNFCC is running out of trust. Effective multilateralism is essential to navigate coming crises without leaving anyone behind.

“How far must we go for those who hold decision-making power to remember that the future we will inherit depends precisely on the decisions they chose not to make? What will it take for decision-makers to realise that climate justice is about children’s rights, too?” – Santiago Flores Medina

CRIN has joined with other civil society organisations calling on UN Member States to reaffirm their commitment to the UN human rights system through political and financial support. The work of the Treaty Bodies is crucial in monitoring States parties’ implementation of international human rights treaties and providing authoritative guidance on the fulfilment of obligations.