Page 21 - FMR64_Trafficking and smuggling & Climate crisis and local communities_2020_web

FMR 64 Climate crisis and local communities 21

June 2020 www.fmreview.org/issue64

Firstly, the richer countries of the Global change their immigration policies in order
North should be required to pay climate to allow those displaced by the impacts
change compensation. This will require not of climate change to claim asylum.
only providing funding for adaptation and “We want our people to have the option to migrate
mitigation, but also taking responsibility with dignity should the time come that migration
for the historical ecological debt they is unavoidable.” Anote Tong, President of Kiribati
owe, and ensuring that climate finance (during the 67th Session of the UN General
and technology are allocated and used Assembly in 2012)
equitably, democratically and appropriately.
The policy of “common but differentiated Thirdly, there needs to be fundamental
responsibilities and respective capabilities” system changes, incorporating elements
is a principle enshrined within the 1992 UN such as the Green New Deal and an
Framework Convention on Climate Change international climate agreement that is
that acknowledges the different capabilities rooted in science, equity and justice. For
and differing responsibilities of individual some countries that would imply a radical
countries in addressing climate change. reduction in consumption, an end to fossil
And in 2013, after more than 20 years of fuels, fair shouldering of the environmental
international climate negotiations, the Warsaw and social costs, and incentives to
International Mechanism for Loss and Damage support local and regional production.
stated that the impacts of climate change In the light of discussions on the above,
cannot be addressed by adaptation alone. one major outcome of the September
In this respect displacement caused by the 2019 conference in Manila is the Manila
impacts of climate change always means a Initiative on the Rights of Climate
loss and therefore demands compensation, a Migrants. This presents the conference
crucial element in climate justice discourse. participants’ vision for the future and
their demands for improvements,
“By not addressing climate justice as a central and issues a call to civil society and
issue and by focusing more on adaptation, that policymakers to sign up to the initiative.
3
was one way of containing migratory trends or
displacement within the region itself without it “We hope that [the Manila Initiative] will
being a burden of responsibility for the North.” play a strong role in strengthening our voice
Meghna Guhathakurta, Research Initiative on an international level because displacement
Bangladesh issues are now losing momentum in both global
Secondly, there needs to be legal climate negotiations as well as UN human right
recognition by the international community processes.” Aminul Hoque, COAST, conference
that those displaced by the impacts of participant
climate change are a group in need of Laura Geiger laura.geiger@rosalux.org
special protection. That means firstly that Director, Dialogue Program on Climate Justice,
the right to move if your life is in danger Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Manila www.rosalux.org
has to be ensured. And secondly that after The author thanks Meghna Guhathakurta (RIB)
you have moved, other rights should be and Aminul Hoque (COAST) for their interviews,
ensured – such as the right to medical and Pius Ginting (AEER) for his support in
assistance, legal protection, and education. conducting interviews with Masnuah (PPNI) and
Social security systems would of course be Kodriyah.
a major pillar of protection for those forced
to move. It is to be hoped that the statement 1. IDMC (2019) ‘Climate Change, Migration Patterns and
Vulnerability: The case of Ndem, Senegal’
by the UN Human Rights Committee in https://bit.ly/IDMC-Ndem-2019
January 2020 that “countries may not deport 2. Acronym for the organisation’s name in Indonesian.
individuals who face climate change-induced 3. Manila Initiative and The Move video produced by Rosa
conditions that violate the right to life” Luxemburg Stiftung Manila for the Climate Migration Forum at
https://climatemigrationforum.net
will exert pressure on other countries to