ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – The United Nations Particular Rapporteur on selling and defending human rights in local weather change, Elisa Morgera, says Dominica’s efforts in the direction of local weather resilience have been exceptional.
Morgera, who meets with authorities officers, representatives from civil society, and different stakeholders, together with communities affected by local weather change, is urging the Roosevelt Skerrit authorities and the worldwide neighborhood to depend on the human rights method to consolidate achievements, acknowledge native improvements and civil society’s contributions, and perceive who was left behind from local weather response and catastrophe restoration.
“Dominica has secured a quick restoration after Tropical Storm Erika in 2015 and Hurricane Maria in 2017. These had been catastrophic local weather occasions,” Morgera mentioned in an announcement on the finish of her go to to Dominica, referring to the lack of life, persistent psychological well being points, destruction of as much as 90 % of the housing inventory, and the lack of over 200 % of gross home product (GDP).
“Within the face of such dramatic human rights impacts of local weather change to which Dominica doesn’t contribute, high-emitting States ought to present finance, in addition to science and know-how cooperation, to guard human rights, biodiversity, and cultural heritage in proportion to their accountability for the loss and harm skilled attributable to local weather change in Dominica, with out growing its debt,” Morgera warned.
Dominica’s ambition to grow to be the world’s first climate-resilient nation has made important strides since 2017. She famous cross-sectoral efforts to guard the rights to ample housing, meals, water, well being, and schooling, because of substantial investments within the nationwide funds and the spirit of Koudmen, neighborhood cooperation, generosity, and repair.
“Shifting from top-down supply in the direction of transformative and collaborative approaches can additional advance local weather resilience via entry to data, public participation in decision-making, and the prevention of discriminatory practices within the distribution of restoration and resilience assets,” Morgera mentioned,
The Particular Rapporteur mentioned participatory approaches additionally contribute to paying extra consideration to the important function of biodiversity and cultural heritage in local weather resilience.
“That is significantly well timed due to the anticipated enlargement of tourism and the upcoming launch of land and marine spatial planning processes within the Nature Island of the Caribbean,” she added.
The go to illuminated how reworking Dominica into a worldwide resilience heart ought to depend on valuing and defending the information, practices, and human rights of the Kalinago Folks—probably the most important remaining Indigenous peoples within the Caribbean islands. The Kalinago have been the guardians of Dominica’s nature and water sources for hundreds of years.
Small-scale fishers, farmers, divers, and different people and communities who stay near nature, in addition to younger individuals and NGOs, are additionally making important contributions to environmental and socio-cultural sustainability.
“However they aren’t acknowledged as trusted companions by the Authorities and face criticism for suggesting options or mitigation measures.
“Dominica should urgently develop complete laws, via participatory processes, to guard human rights as a part of local weather resilience, together with the rights of environmental human rights defenders, to forestall additional environmental and cultural losses and assist sustainable prosperity,” the Particular Rapporteur mentioned.
The go to additionally supplied a chance to make clear the duties of bilateral donors, Worldwide Monetary Establishments, and the UN System to forestall and supply efficient cures for human rights or environmental hurt arising from local weather resilience or growth tasks.
The skilled additionally urged these companions to offer direct funding to community-led and youth-led initiatives in Dominica. The total report of the skilled’s go to might be offered to the 62nd UN Human Rights Council session in July 2026.
