International Officials laud Success of 'Climate Change, Human Rights' Conference
Doha, February 25 (QNA) - Several international officials praised the success of the international conference on "Climate Change, Human Rights", which was organized by the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC) in cooperation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Development Program (UNDP), League of Arab States, and Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI).
The Chairman of the India's National Human Rights Commission , Arun Kumar Mishra, praised the conference, indicating that it dealt with an important issue that has become a real concern and challenge facing not only the State of Qatar, but also various countries of the world.
He said in remarks that the conference was an important occasion and a pioneering initiative worthy of appreciation and respect, as it brought together a group of experts and researchers in the field of human rights and their counterparts in the field of combating climate change to understand the truth and reality of the various challenges that may be caused by man.
The Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission in India stressed the need to focus efforts on many issues related to climate change to avoid worse effects, with the need to work to support many countries, especially countries that face climatic difficulties and environmental disturbances that have harmed people, by providing the necessary funds for those countries.
He pointed out the necessity of creating balance between the environment and the economy. stressing that in view of the economic development and growth and the high levels of carbon emissions, the environmental aspect must be taken into account, as it is the basis of life.
Chair of the United Nations Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture Dr. Susan Jabbour said that the conference was held at a very good time, the time when the Arab region suffers from many problems related to climate change that affects vulnerable groups.
Jabbour praised the discussions presented by the conferees over the course of two days, and the highlights they gave on very important matters, noting that the recommendations of the conference are a means and a tool for countries and institutions concerned with climate change.
Human Rights advocate and international law researcher Yasser Al Farhan, the founder of the Mizan Human Rights Organization, said that he participated in the conference to contribute to making serious recommendations based on the human rights approach, as natural disasters have become unspeakable, referring to catastrophe of the earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria.
He called on the specialists to control the technology and its objectives, because the main goal of it is to secure human lives and achieve well-being and a safe life, not to destroy the health infrastructure and affect the lives of the living societies, nor to affect the right to life.
In her turn, the facilitator of the National Center for Human Rights in Jordan, Dr. Reem Abu Dalbouh, said that the National Human Rights Committee in Qatar excelled in holding such an important conference for the purposes of advancing global action at the level of policies and legislation and introducing human rights concepts in climatic conditions towards effectiveness on the ground.
She stressed the importance of global solidarity towards saving the climate, seeking to institutionalize dialogue and taking the necessary measures to develop proactive solutions on the important issue.
Director of the Middle East and North Africa Department at IFDI International Human Rights Organization, Abdulmajeed Marari, stressed the importance of discussing the international industrial abuse of human rights, pointing to the close link between climate change and human rights, the most important of which is the right to life.
He called for rationalizing dealing with the climate and industrial development in order to protect both economic goals and human rights.
UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders Michel Forrest said that the conference is of great importance as it is a launching pad for discussing the challenges caused by climate change, and the appropriate ways to tackle them.
He stressed the need to intensify international efforts and initiatives to overcome all the challenges facing the countries of the world, in addition to presenting various practical initiatives by stimulating all civil and human rights organization in addition to government institutions and agencies and various components of the private sector.
He underlined the importance of recalling the initiatives that aim to preserve the climate and preserve the human right to enjoy a healthy and clean climate.
For his part, Head of the Middle East and North Africa Department at the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mohammed Ali Ensour, said that the importance of the Conference lies in being the first conference in the Arab region that deals with the effects of climate on human rights and the dimensions of the current global climate crisis on human rights in the Arab region. (QNA)
