On 18 March 2015, Displacement Solutions (DS) co-hosted a Side Event at the UN Human Rights Counsel on the application of the Peninsula Principles on Climate Displacement Within States to the issue of climate displacement and the associated human rights issues. Special thanks to long-time DS associate Khaled Hassine for organising this important meeting.
The event, which took place in the Palais des Nations at Geneva, was attended by some 60 participants, including three UN Human Rights Special Rapporteurs (the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of all human rights by older persons; the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities; staff to the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons) and State representatives from Bangladesh, Ecuador, Germany, Japan, Mexico, Panama, Philippines, Qatar and Sweden. The event was moderated by Tom Corsellis of the Shelter Centre. UNHCR, OCHA, the South Centre and other organisations also attended the gathering.
DS Director Scott Leckie provided an opening statement which can be accessed here. Among other things, he said that “Displacement Solutions has been engaged in the issue of climate displacement since our founding in 2006 and since then has continually expanded our attention to this problem in an ever-growing array of countries in virtually every corner of the world. We have tried to tackle these challenges head on and have consistently taken a rights-based and solutions-based approach towards this expanding crisis, whether in Bangladesh or Tuvalu, or Alaska, Panama or Myanmar and beyond”.
DS also launched an Easy to Read Version of the Peninsula Principles at the Side Event, which can be accessed here.
