On June 30, during the 59th regular session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, Morocco's National Human Rights Council (CNDH) took the floor at the annual panel on the impact of climate change on human rights. Held at the Palais des Nations in Geneva, then sweltering under a heatwave, the international gathering provided Morocco with an opportunity to reaffirm its leadership in promoting a fundamental right: the right to live in a healthy environment. In its statement, the CNDH underscored the Kingdom's commitment to meeting its international obligations on climate and human rights. It highlighted the intrinsic link between climate justice and social justice, advocating for a just transition that safeguards the rights of the most vulnerable populations. The Council emphasized the importance of systematically integrating human rights impact assessments into all investment strategies and climate response measures. It also stressed that a participatory approach, engaging civil society and human rights institutions, is essential to ensuring the fairness and effectiveness of environmental policies. Recognizing Morocco's progress in social protection and job preservation amid increasingly severe climate conditions, the CNDH put forward several concrete recommendations, including: - Unifying environmental protection laws into a coherent legal framework that ensures the full realization of human rights; - Enhancing coordination among institutional actors to prioritize support for the most vulnerable groups; - Promoting alternative, sustainable, and job-generating economic models; - Supporting small and medium-sized enterprises to strengthen their resilience to new environmental standards. In conclusion, the CNDH called for stronger international cooperation, stressing that responses to climate challenges must be collective, inclusive, and united.
