02 March 2017 GENEVA – The Philippines remains at the forefront of climate change discussions at the UN Human Rights Council. The Philippine Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva co-organized with the Permanent Missions of Viet Nam and Bangladesh a “Panel Discussion on Climate Change and the Rights of the Child” on March 02.

The convening of the Panel Discussion at the Plenary Session of the Human Rights Council coincided with the signing of President Rodrigo R. Duterte of the Paris Agreement on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). 

Ambassador Maria Teresa T. Almojuela, Deputy Permanent Representative and Chargé d’ Affaires, a.i., of the Philippine Mission to the United Nations and Other International Organizations in Geneva, moderated the interactive panel discussion that gathered senior officials, experts, and advocates promoting the mainstreaming of children’s rights in climate change action.

“As one of the countries most vulnerable to climate change, the Philippines counts on the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement and renewed international cooperation to mitigate and adapt to the harmful impact of climate change,” Ms. Almojuela said.  

Ms. Almojuela underlined that the Philippine experience on disasters informs the country’s evolving policy framework to better protect children in times of disasters. She pointed out that in May 2016, the Philippines enacted the Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act, which is considered to be a pioneering law to protect children in times of emergencies and disaster situations, and noted the signing of Implementing Rules and Regulations of this law this week, on February 28. 

She pointed out that the Philippines has strongly acknowledged the link between climate change and human rights in policy-making, citing environmental policies that directly address and protect children’s rights, such as in the Climate Change Act of 2009.

The Panel provided an opportunity for states, international organizations and other relevant stakeholders to discuss the impact of climate change on the full and effective enjoyment of the rights of the child.

Among the objectives of the panel discussion was to identify recommendations for a rights-based approach to climate action to fulfill the rights of the child in the context of the Paris Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other relevant international agreements; and to provide inputs to the analytical study being prepared by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) on climate change and the full and effective enjoyment of the rights of the child.

The Panelists include:  H.E. Ha Kim Ngoc, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam; H.E. M. Shameem Ahsan, Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the UN Office in Geneva; Ms. Marilena Viviani, Director, UNICEF Geneva Liaison Office; Ms. Kirsten Sandberg, Member, Committee on the Rights of the Child; and a representative of the youth, Ms. Kehkashan Basu, Founder of Green Hope Foundation. Ms. Peggy Hicks, Director of the Thematic Engagement, Special Procedures and Right to Development Division of the Office of OHCHR, delivered the Opening Statement and H.E. Mr. Amr Ramadan, Vice-President of the Human Rights Council (Permanent Representative of Egypt) chaired the panel discussion. END