A/HRC/32/24 development and therefore climate action must integrate human rights, particularly the human right to health. She noted that realizing the right to development was a necessary precondition for health and that vulnerable groups must participate in efforts to integrate human rights in climate policies and be empowered to address climate change and its impacts. Furthermore, there was a need for synergy between human rights policies, climate change policies and development. If the three agendas were kept separate, States and persons at risk would suffer increasing negative impacts from climate change. In this regard, she expressed concern that fewer than 20 countries had included human rights and/or gender equality in their intended nationally determined contributions, even though the Paris Agreement had highlighted their importance. 41. She stated that loss and damages was a human rights issue. She called for greater cooperation between the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Human Rights Council to ensure the integration of human rights in climate-related action. In fact, greater cooperation was required across the United Nations system to ensure a coherent, rights-based approach to climate change. In response to a question about indigenous peoples and fossil fuel extraction, she said that the international community needed to shift from fossil fuel consumption and move to the use of clean energy. The Paris Agreement called for the rights of indigenous peoples to be protected and this needed to happen at the national level. However, partnerships between States and United Nations agencies were also needed. The universal periodic review process could be a useful tool for promoting accountability with regard to human rights, the environment and climate. It was also important that the private sector respect the right to health. 42. The Under-Secretary of the Department of Health of the Philippines called for greater cross-sector cooperation. The health sector, the housing sector, the employment sector and the water sector, for example, all played an important role in the realization of the right to health and needed to coordinate efforts to address climate change and promote the right to health. Investments in climate adaptation within each sector should benefit vulnerable groups. Increased efforts were needed to improve disease detection, vaccine development and vector control for insect-borne outbreaks. In the context of emergencies caused by natural disasters, it was important to have in place a rights-based action plan. In the Philippines, special packages for children’s nutrition and for sexual and reproductive health were made available in the initial stages of disaster response. In addition, it was important to have clinical and psychological care for victims of gender-based violence. She concluded by calling for the establishment of a special fund to finance projects and adaptation policies against climate change with funds from both the public and private sector. 43. The Special Rapporteur affirmed the need to strengthen health policies by mainstreaming a rights-based approach at all levels. He proposed that good practices on how to enable parents and children to have non-violent relations be discussed, as this was a risk-factor exacerbated by climate change. He called for the implementation and improvement of existing health systems and policies and investment in holistic health, particularly for children. Climate change was a threat multiplier and needed to be addressed. In doing so, Governments could learn from past mistakes in addressing other public health issues. All ministries were responsible for health and its underlying determinants, so a cross-sectoral approach to climate and health was needed to identify and capitalize on synergies. In response to a question about the role of special procedure mandate holders in addressing climate change and human rights, the Special Rapporteur noted that mandate holders could and should incorporate relevant human rights issues related to climate change in their work. Their function included the monitoring and evaluation of State human rights commitments, including those in the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. He was planning a report on health and the 10

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