General guidance Natural disasters, emergencies and climate change threaten the effective enjoyment of all human rights, including the right to life, the right to adequate food, the rights to health care and public health, the right to adequate housing, the right to selfdetermination, the right to safe drinking water and sanitation, and Indigenous Peoples’ rights to their lands, territories and natural resources.1 States have a human rights obligation to prevent the foreseeable adverse effects of climate change and to ensure that those affected by it, particularly those in vulnerable situations, have access to effective remedies and means of adaptation to enjoy lives of human dignity.2 Human rights are the legal underpinning of all humanitarian work pertaining to natural disasters.3 During relief and recovery efforts the protection of human rights gains in importance as it can safeguard the dignity of those affected. It is therefore essential that during times of disaster, emergencies and climate related events that human rights are upheld and the needs of the most vulnerable are prioritised. 2 1 As emphasised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in a 2011 resolution: “climate change-related impacts have a range of implications, both direct and indirect, for the effective enjoyment of human rights.” UNHRC ‘Human rights and climate change’ (26 September 2011, A/HRC/18/L.26) at Preamble. See also UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) Statement of the United Nations Special Procedures Mandate Holders on the occasion of the Human Rights Day Geneva (10 December 2014). 2 The concept of dignity is a core feature underpinning all human rights. See for example, Preamble, Universal Declaration of Human Rights Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. 3 The IASC Operational Guidelines on Human Rights and Natural Disasters provides more details on the legal aspects of humanitarian work.