- Home
- About us
- WTO
- United Nations
- Disarmament
- Services for Australians
- Statements
- Visas and migration
- Travelling to Australia
- Doing business with Australia
- Study in Australia
- Media
- About Australia
- Events
Human Rights Council – 11th Session
Interactive Panel Dialogue on Human Rights and Climate Change
Australian Statement
as delivered
Thank you Madam Vice President and to the panellists for their presentations.
Australia considers climate change to be a serious long-term global challenge that will incrementally intensify climate-related stresses, including extreme weather events, climate shifts and sea-level rise. This may, over time, adversely affect food security, local and regional stability, and human rights. Australia recognises this significant threat to human rights posed by climate change.
It is worth reflecting on the diverse range of risks that climate change poses to human health. A National Adaption Research Plan on Human Health and Climate Change recently launched in Australia has identified key health-related priorities in eight areas: heat waves, extreme weather events, vector-borne diseases, food quality, air quality, mental health, health in remote and Indigenous communities, and health infrastructure and services.
We would be interested in the panel’s views on the likely implications for the right to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health as a result of these climate change impacts.
Australia recognises that the impacts of climate change on the enjoyment of human rights will be most acutely felt by populations that are already vulnerable, and whose capacity to adapt is the most economically constrained.
For Australia, one such group is the Indigenous peoples of the Torres Strait Islands, a group of low lying islands in Australia’s north. For Torres Strait Islanders, it is possible that climate change will affect their enjoyment of rights to housing, water, food and health, as well as their cultural rights to land.
In our region, Pacific island nations already face significant development challenges which may be exacerbated by climate change. The Australian Government believes that integrating climate change into development policy and planning and supporting Pacific Island countries along a pathway of sustainable development will simultaneously help address the region’s complex development challenges and build resilience to climate change impacts.
Australia was a strong supporter of General Assembly resolution 63/281, adopted on 3 June 2009. This is the first time the international community has agreed on the linkage between climate change and security.
We would encourage the panel to give consideration to the situation of small island communities, and the unique challenges climate change presents for the enjoyment of their human rights.