Statement by India during the Annual Panel Discussion on the Adverse Impact of Climate Change on Human Rights at the 59th Session of the Human Rights Council, delivered by Mr. Mohammed Hussain K.S., Counsellor & Legal Adviser, Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations Geneva on 30 June 2025
Mr. President,
1. My delegation would like to thank the panelists for their insights.
- 2.Climate change is a defining threat to the full realization of human rights, especially in developing countries. India believes that the concept of ‘Just Transitions’ must be far broader than currently perceived. For transition pathways to be truly just and rights-based, equity, CBDR-RC, and global climate justice must be at the core of all discussions. ‘Just Transition’ cannot be reduced to a platform for prescriptive, top-down approaches that disregard nationally determined priorities.
- 3.Too often, discussions at the Council sidestep these core principles, ignoring the overriding priority of development for Global South countries, which face pervasive and persistent challenges of inequalities in energy, infrastructure and financing.
- 4. ’Just transitions’ must foreground the vastly different national circumstances and starting points. Not doing so, only deepens the disproportionality of the burden borne by the most vulnerable. We must discuss the key enablers and disablers of just transitions, including unilateral trade measures, restrictive intellectual property regimes, and the inequitable distribution of transition costs.
- 5.Taking into account adequate and just means of implementation is also essential. Transitions in developing countries must not be treated as merely investment opportunities with a high human cost. Preserving carbon space is vital for poverty eradication and inclusive growth.
Mr. President,
- 6.India remains committed to climate action that is human centric, development oriented and adheres to the principles of global climate justice.
Thank you.
