CRIN at COP27
CRIN’s goal at COP is to ensure that children’s voices, perspectives and knowledge are included and that children are able to participate in the decisions that impact them. But our stance is clear: there is no climate justice without human rights.
CRIN is attending COP27 and our small delegation will include two of our Climate Advisers, aged 18 and below. We are acutely conscious of the context under which this COP is operating and stand in solidarity with all of those who speak out on issues of human rights and climate change, including in particular Egypt. We believe that climate justice requires an open civic space. For this, the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly must be fully respected. We add our voice to all of those calling for an open civic space in Egypt and against the repression and threats that civil society face every day in Egypt and around the world.
Strengthening the voices of children
As an organisation with observer status, we want to do what we can to help with issues of access to these global climate spaces and help civil society voices be heard. In this case, we will be assisting with strengthening the voices of children.
The major climate and environment dialogues and negotiations often leave behind those they make the decisions for, the ones that are disproportionately affected by the impact of the climate crisis - including children.
Our goal at COP
CRIN’s goal at COP is to ensure that children’s voices, perspectives and knowledge are included and that children are able to participate in the decisions that impact them. It will take time for this to fully happen through the UNFCCC, but we are committed to using the access we have to push for this goal and in the meantime supporting the involvement of children and young activists directly.
Our recommendations for COP can be found in Incorporating Child Rights into Climate Action, a position paper by the Child Rights Environmental Initiative (CERI) which explores why designing climate action that protects children will ensure a safe future for all and provides concrete recommendations. We also echo OHCHR’s call “to include children and youth representatives in their delegations to COP 27 and future COPs, to ensure that young people have a say in their future.”
No climate justice without human rights
In addition to these child specific recommendations, we join the calls of many others, including a group of UN human rights experts “that the UNFCCC Secretariat should develop human rights criteria that countries hosting future COPs must commit to meeting as part of the host agreement.”
There is no climate justice without human rights.
See more about what children have to say on the climate crisis, and why more needs to be done to involve them: Children’s rights and voices in the global response to climate change.
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