A/HRC/41/26
Mechanism’s Task Force on Displacement calling for an approach to climate displacement
that takes into account international human rights standards and gender.
37.
In total, there have been more than 60 United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change decisions addressing gender. At the eighteenth session of the Conference
of the Parties, in 2012, the parties adopted a decision on gender balance and the
representation of women. Since 2012, gender and climate change has been a stand-alone
agenda item of the Conference of the Parties, and the Subsidiary Body for
Implementation. 76 At its twentieth session, the Conference of the Parties established the
Lima Work Programme, which is aimed at advancing gender-responsive climate action
throughout the work of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The
work programme, initially lasting two years, has been extended on an ongoing basis. It
includes a review of the implementation of gender-related mandates by the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change secretariat, and training, awareness-raising and
capacity-building for delegates on gender-responsive climate action. At the twenty-second
session of the Conference of the Parties, in 2016, the parties adopted a decision recognizing
the value of the participation of grass-roots women in gender-responsive climate action at
all levels. In 2017, the twenty-third session of the Conference of the Parties adopted the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Gender Action Plan, under the
Lima Work Programme, to guide ongoing work on gender-responsive approaches to
climate change.
38.
The Gender Action Plan is aimed at ensuring that women can participate in and
influence climate change decisions, and ensuring their equal representation in all of the
work of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The Gender
Action Plan sets out five priority areas, as follows: capacity-building; knowledge-sharing
and communication; gender balance, participation and women’s leadership; coherence
(creating consistent implementation of gender-related mandates and activities within the
work of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change bodies, the
secretariat and other United Nations entities and stakeholders); gender-responsive
implementation; and improved monitoring and reporting on gender-related mandates under
the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
39.
The Gender Action Plan identifies key steps to help achieve these priorities. For
example, to support the full, equal and meaningful participation of women in the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change process, it calls for travel funds to
support the participation of women in national delegations, and the development and
implementation of climate education and training programmes targeted at women and youth
at the regional, national and local levels.
3.
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development
40.
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development has human rights and the
commitment to leave no one behind at its core. Because the Sustainable Development
Goals are interdependent, achieving any of the Goals will require effective climate action
under Goal 13. Goal 5 (gender equality) is cross-cutting, and specifically calls upon
Member States to “ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities
for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life” and to
end all forms of discrimination against women. Goal 13 explicitly calls upon Member
States to “promote mechanisms for raising capacity for effective climate change-related
planning and management… including focusing on women”. Goal 16 (peace, justice and
strong institutions) and Goal 17 (means of implementation) are critical enablers for
progress towards all of the goals, including Goal 13. Goals 16 and 17 highlight respectively
the need for inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels, and
for adequate finance.
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See https://unfccc.int/topics/gender/workstreams/gender-and-climate-change-unfccc-relatedactivities-2017.
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