report Civic space and climate justice

Civic Space and Climate Justice

Exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association as essential to advancing climate justice (A/76/222)

In the present report, which was presented to the General Assembly on 15/10/21, the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, unpacks the challenges and risks facing individuals, communities and organizations exercising their rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association in order to support and advance climate justice.

Civil society plays an essential role in addressing the climate crisis and ensuring a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies, including fostering a green recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association are essential to the work of civil society actors, providing means through which they may come together to build a greener and more sustainable future. Unfortunately, all too often these rights are violated extensively within the climate justice context.

In this report, the Special Rapporteur calls on States and other relevant actors to respect and ensure these fundamental freedoms and to ensure that civil society actors can continue their work in this field.

Read the full report (A/76/222) in all UN languages here. 

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