29 December 2015: People of African descent will be among those most adversely affected by climate change, notes the UN Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent, in a statement calling for international climate change efforts to be more inclusive. The Working Group requests that the needs and views of those most at risk be taken into account at future climate talks.

According to the statement, issued by Mireille Fanon-Mendes-France (France), the Chairperson of the expert group, the concerns of people most at risk “barely figured in the two weeks of negotiations” at the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 21), held in Paris, France, in November and December 2015. The Working Group underscores that people of African descent are among the poorest and most marginalized groups in society, are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation like air pollution and toxic waste, and now bear a particularly high burden from climate change. Yet, they continue to be overlooked or sidelined in relevant decisionmaking processes, the experts underline.

The Working Group says the Paris Agreement process still can be “truly historic” if it ensures that marginalized communities, including people of African descent, are “central to the debate about the future of our common planet.” The statement highlights that the International Decade for People of African Descent runs from 2015-2024 to “strengthen national, regional and international cooperation in relation to the full enjoyment of economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights by people of African descent” and to honor their contributions to societies.

The Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent is one of the Special Procedures of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC). [UN Press Release] [Working Group Statement] [Working Group Webpage]