Ahead of COP26, Michelle Bachelet says “those directly affected should have a seat at the table”

Photo: Michelle Bachelet meets with Kim-Mai Vu of PBI and others in Geneva. On November 6, PBI will be convening a panel of environmental defenders on the frontlines of the climate crisis. Register for that here.

Speaking on the COP26 climate summit starting this Sunday (October 31), the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet comments: “Without a healthy planet to live on, there will be no human rights.”

Bachelet adds: “Let me be very clear: the triple threat of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss constitutes the single greatest challenge to human rights in our era.”

She further highlights: “Those directly affected should have a seat at the table. Their meaningful participation is key to effective and equitable action.”

Bachelet made these comments on October 28, the following day, she met with Peace Brigades International and other human rights organizations based in Geneva to talk about the situation in Latin America and the Caribbean.

That situation includes that 137 land and environmental rights defenders were killed in Colombia, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Mexico last year.

PBI webinar, November 6

Peace Brigades International will be holding a webinar on COP26 with some of those directly affected, but without a seat at the table.

The webinar will take place on Saturday November 6 at 1 pm EST (Ontario/Quebec) with simultaneous translation in English and Spanish.

It will feature Nelly Madegwa (Kenya), Sandra Calel (Guatemala), Danilo Rueda (Colombia), Juana Ramona Zuñiga (Honduras), Amaru Ruiz (Nicaragua) and Valeria Villalobos (Mexico). It will also include a special introduction by UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and the environment David R. Boyd.

To register for this webinar, please click here.