The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) conducted the International Conference on the topic “Climate Change and Human Rights: The Role of National Human Rights Institutions” for two days form November 22 to 23, 2023. Representatives from the Asia Pacific Forum of National Human Rights Institutions (APF), the Pacific Community (SPC), along with national human rights institutions from France, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Mongolia were invited to participate and exchange views with scholars, experts, government agencies, and civil organizations from Taiwan. Over 200 people participated in this event, making the conference a great success. In her opening speech, Chairperson Chu Chen stated that this year marks the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) by the United Nations General Assembly. Article 3 of the UDHR, on the right to life, and Article 25, on the right to health, have both already laid a foundation for the effects of climate change on human rights. As an island nation in Asia, Taiwan is particularly at risk from the effects of climate change and thus must focus on how climate change affects human rights.
Chu Chen first referred to the fact that in the 1970s, when Taiwan was under a period of authoritarian rule with martial law imposed for 38 years, all fundamental civil rights were curtailed. This led to a period of no freedom of speech, no right to assembly or demonstration, and the arbitrary arrest of political prisoners of conscience for surveillance purposes. In Taiwan, this was known as the Dark Ages of human rights. She stated that during that era, when she first came upon a pamphlet detailing the UDHR, she found it to be an incredibly important international document, despite only having 30 articles at the time. Even today, the UDHR remains a very practical guide to human rights, and the values enshrined therein are still relevant, even as many new human rights issues have developed in recent years.
Chu Chen noted that in July 2022, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution recognizing “access to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment as a fundamental human right.” This emphasizes that human rights are universal, inalienable, interdependent, and interrelated. Additionally, this specific resolution highlights how people across the world are affected by environmental harm, especially women, children, indigenous peoples, older persons, and persons with disabilities. In May 2022, Taiwan passed its first National Human Rights Action Plan, within which climate change is classified as one of the eight major human rights issues. The Plan highlights Taiwan’s concern for the impact of climate change on disadvantaged groups, along with emerging issues such as transition, examples of which include the transition away from Taiwan’s traditional high-polluting industries, which will inevitably impact the employment rights of workers. Discussing and finding solutions to these issues cannot be delayed.
The Day 1 of the international conference focused on the discussion about the impact of climate change on human rights. By inviting human rights organizations from various nations, along with scholars, domestic government agencies, and civil organizations, Chu Chen expressed her hope for the NHRC to lead and enable vital dialogs and exchanges.
Day 2 focused on the statutory responsibilities of national human rights institutions, with discussions on how to strengthen the independence and effectiveness of such institutions in terms of supervision, acceptance of complaints, and co-operation with civil organizations, so as to safeguard and promote human rights and integrate with existing international human rights standards.
This was the second time the NHRC had hosted the International Conference on Human Rights Development since its establishment, with the first instance being in 2021. The NHRC organized a conference focused on climate change, 75 years after adopting the UDHR and in coordination with the November theme of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.