HIC is participating in the
current Conference of Parties, also known as COP21, which is gathering the 195
countries that have joined and ratified the UN Framework Climate Change
Convention (UNFCCC) following the Rio Earth Summit in 1992. In an effort to
address climate change, the states and organizations convened are sharing and
formalizing their strategies and commitments severally and collectively to
resist, mitigate and/or adapt to climate change.
The UNFCCC is the UN official body (secretariat) in charge of
facilitating the convention, which leaves little space for the ultimately
affected people to participate in the decisions. Nonetheless, HIC and
participating Members are present with a message to delegates that promotes
«Building Climate-resilient Societies», not only resilient cities. The HIC
message emphasizes the urgent priority to engage impoverished and marginalized
communities in the plans and efforts to withstand ever-increasing effects of
climate change. The message also calls for a new articulation of
resilience—with accountability and liability—within a human rights framework
that both prevents and remedies harm.
Download the HIC statement here.
