HRC57 - NB8 statement - Climate change

Human Rights Council ‒ 57th session
Item 3: Interactive Dialogue on the Secretary General’s analytical study on climate change
Statement by Denmark on behalf of the Nordic Baltic states
13 September 2024

Mr. President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the Nordic Baltic states.

We thank the Secretary-General for his study, which highlights that loss and damage from the adverse effects of climate change may include broad and increasing harms to the enjoyment of a wide range of human rights. Therefore, the need to scale up averting, minimizing, and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change is increasingly urgent.

While tackling the root causes of climate change and building long-term resilience remain of paramount importance, it is crucial to design more context-specific actions and integrate human rights principles into international and national climate change policy-making.

The strategies and actions need to be human rights based, gender responsive and inclusive, especially towards those living at the frontline of climate change, including Indigenous Peoples, women and children.

We strongly support the ongoing international efforts to find innovative sources for the climate finance to help most vulnerable countries and communities deal with the full spectrum of climate impacts, through accelerated adaptation action and averting, minimizing and addressing economic and non-economic loss and damage. In this context, we underline the importance of the swift operationalisation of the new Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage.

How can we ensure that the voices of civil society, NGOs, Indigenous Peoples, and environmental human rights defenders are taken into account in climate change policy-making?

I thank you.