A/HRC/RES/48/14
United Nations
General Assembly
Distr.: General
13 October 2021
Original: English
Human Rights Council
Forty-eighth session
13 September–11 October 2021
Agenda item 3
Promotion and protection of all human rights, civil,
political, economic, social and cultural rights,
including the right to development
Resolution adopted by the Human Rights Council
on 8 October 2021
48/14.
Mandate of the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of
human rights in the context of climate change
The Human Rights Council,
Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,
Reaffirming that States have the obligation and the primary responsibility to respect,
protect and fulfil human rights and fundamental freedoms, in accordance with the Charter of
the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant
on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights and all relevant international human rights instruments,
Bearing in mind the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the
Paris Agreement adopted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda,
the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015–2030, the Malé Declaration on the
Human Dimension of Global Climate Change, the SIDS Accelerated Modalities of Action
(SAMOA) Pathway, the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, the Declaration on
the Right to Development, the Vienna Programme of Action for Landlocked Developing
Countries for the Decade 2014–2024, and all relevant international and regional instruments
addressing the adverse impact of climate change on human rights,
Recalling article 2 of the Paris Agreement, which states that the Agreement, in
enhancing the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate
Change, including its objective, aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate
change, in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty, including
by (a) holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above preindustrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C above preindustrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks and impacts of
climate change; (b) increasing the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change
and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development, in a manner
that does not threaten food production; and (c) making finance flows consistent with a
pathway towards low greenhouse gas emissions and climate-resilient development; and that
the Agreement will be implemented to reflect equity and the principle of common but
differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in the light of different national
circumstances,
GE.21-14696(E)