Summary

The number of people displaced across international borders due to climate change is rapidly increasing, as the effects of climate change become more severe. As people are forced across international borders, they face numerous human rights violations. This is particularly the case for women and children, who make up the majority of displaced people. There are many definitions used to define people displaced by climate change. Some use the term “climate change refugees”, despite the fact that this term does not align with the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees or the Protocol thereto.

In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change considers various international, regional and national legal and policy approaches to address people displaced across international borders due to climate change. He concludes that there is a deficit in legal protection for such people and makes a number of recommendations on how this legal deficit can be resolved, including his recommendation for the development of an optional protocol to the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees to protect the human rights of persons displaced across international borders due to climate change.