A/HRC/17/39 Proposed standards 1. All peoples and individuals have the right to live in an environment that is safe and healthy, including an atmosphere that is free from dangerous man-made interference, and to be protected against any act or threat of physical or psychological violence, whether originating from State or non-State actors. 2. All peoples and individuals have the right to be protected from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, crimes of aggression and crimes against humanity.68 3. States affirm that the adverse impacts of man-made climate change interfere with the enjoyment of human rights, in particular economic, social and cultural rights, and thereby threaten domestic and international development, stability, peace and security. Consequently, States must assume responsibility for mitigating climate change based on the best available scientific evidence and their historical contribution to climate change in order to ensure that all people have the ability to adapt to the adverse effects of climate change, particularly those interfering with human rights. 4. All peoples and individuals have a human right to participate in sustainable development and the implementation of policies to mitigate and adapt to environmental destruction, especially climate change, and free and meaningful participation in the development and implementation of such mitigation and adaptation policies. 5. All States shall be held responsible for the environmental impact of war, including environmental modifications, whether deliberate or unintentional, that result in long-lasting or severe effects, cause lasting destruction, damage or injury to another State. D. Victims and vulnerable groups 60. All individuals share the same human dignity and have an equal right to protection. Nevertheless, there are certain groups with specific vulnerability who deserve special protection. These include women in particular situations, children, victims of enforced or involuntary disappearance, disabled, elderly and displaced persons, migrants, refugees and indigenous peoples, and minorities stereotyped with endangering national security. 61. In 2000, in its resolution 1325 (2000), the Security Council recognized for the first time the strong link between women, peace and security, and stressed the need to address gender-based violence and gender inequality in conflict and post-conflict situations, and the importance of women’s equal participation in all efforts to maintain and promote sustainable and just peace and security. States obligations include protection of women and girls from rape, forced pregnancy, and the use of women as instruments of war and sexual slavery. Security Council resolutions 1888 (2009) and 1889 (2009) introduced new approaches to integrate gender into all aspects of peace and security. 62. When looking at individuals and groups that are particularly vulnerable to violence and armed conflict, it is clearly visible that those individuals and groups have previously experienced, in many cases, discrimination, exclusion and marginalization in political, social, economic or other ways. States should be aware of this connection and consequently perceive the fight against discrimination as one preventive measure against the breakout and deterioration of violence and armed conflict, allowing all individuals, groups and peoples to enjoy their right to peace. 68 available from www.international-alert.org/pdf/A_Climate_Of_Conflict.pdf. General Assembly resolution 60/1, paras. 138-139. 17