GS Paper 2
Syllabus: Social Justice
Source: DTE
Context: The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) has issued ground-breaking guidance (first of its kind), General Comment No. 26, recognizing children’s rights to a clean and sustainable environment, with a focus on climate change.
Impact of Climate Change on Children:
- 2020 report by WHO-UNICEF-Lancet warns of threats to children’s well-being due to environmental degradation and climate change.
- 2022 saw 12 million children displaced due to extreme weather events
- Climate change is a key driver of extreme poverty, inequality, and child vulnerability.
- Children are especially vulnerable to climate change impacts because of their unique development needs.
Key Points of UN Guidance on Children’s Rights and the Environment:
| Key Points | |
| Recognition of Rights | UN recognizes children’s right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment. |
| Special emphasis on addressing climate change impacts on children. | |
| Legal Framework | General Comment No. 26 was adopted on August 28, 2023. |
| Provides the legal foundation to tackle environmental degradation and climate change’s effects on children’s rights. | |
| Obligations of Member States | Member states urged to take necessary measures to protect children’s rights from climate change-related harm caused by businesses. |
| Priority on establishing inclusive early warning systems to safeguard children from extreme weather impacts. | |
| Developed nations are urged to provide grants instead of loans to prevent negative impacts on children’s rights. | |
| Climate Finance Concerns | Highlighted concerns over unequal allocation of finance for adaptation and loss and damage measures. |
| Calls for Emissions Reductions | Insufficient progress in achieving international climate commitments endangers children. |
| Urges rapid and effective emissions reductions to protect children’s rights and prevent irreversible environmental damage. |
To know How climate change contributes to violence against children? Click here
To know How to address violence against children: Click here
About UNCRC
UNCRC, adopted in 1989, outlines children’s rights, including life, health, clean drinking water, and survival and development. It is ratified by 196 state parties (including India). CRC is the body of 18 independent experts that monitors the implementation of the UNCRC by its state parties
Insta links:
Mains Links:
Analyse the growing impacts of climate change on Indian Society. (10M)
