The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is inviting national human rights institutions to contribute to a new study on climate change and human rights.

In March the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution (7/23) requesting the OHCHR “to conduct a detailed analytical study of the relationship between climate change and human rights, to be submitted to the Council prior to its tenth session.”

As part of the study, the OHCHR will be consulting with States, relevant international organisations and intergovernmental bodies, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and other stakeholders.

National human rights institutions are encouraged to share their knowledge and expertise in the area, including providing information on:

assessments at national or regional level of the impact of climate change (experienced or anticipated) on human lives, the populations most affected and vulnerable, and the enjoyment of human rights

projects and measures at national or regional level to mitigate or adapt to climate change, including information on assessments of their impact on affected populations and their human rights

views on the relationship between obligations arising out of international climate conventions and international human rights treaties, including on international assistance and cooperation; and

examples of support to mitigate and adapt to climate change through international assistance and cooperation, including assessments of their human rights impact.

Submissions must be provided by 30 August 2008 and can be sent to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (United Nations Office at Geneva, CH 1211 Geneva 10; Fax. +4122 917 90 08; E-mail: registry@ohchr.org), marked to the attention of Mr Ulrik Halsteen.

Please indicate whether the information provided may be made available on the OHCHR website.

To support the study, the APF will submit to the OHCHR, on behalf of all member institutions, the APF Advisory Council of Jurists' Background Paper on Human Rights and the Environment and its Final Report.