Resident Coordinator's speech: Human Rights Day Forum 2021

Yang Berhormat Dato’ Saifuddin Abdullah, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Yang Berhormat Dato’ Sri Azalina Othman Said, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister on Law and Human Rights

Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Othman Hashim, Chairman of SUHAKAM

Yang Berbahagia Tan Sri Jemilah Mahmood, Executive Director of Sunway Centre for Planetary Health; Pro-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University Malaysia

Esteemed panel of speakers, Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SUHAKAM Commissioners,

Colleagues, Ladies and gentlemen,

On behalf of the United Nations Country Team and our partners in Government and SUHAKAM, I warmly welcome you to our joint commemoration of the Human Rights Day.

Please allow me first to commend Malaysia’s efforts to bring human rights to the fore; to keeping the conversation going on the human rights challenges at home, and to engaging internationally to speak up for billions of people whose fundamental rights are violated every day.

Congratulations to Malaysia on its election to the Human Rights Council, and as importantly, congratulations on the pledges and level of commitment to action; action for a dignified life for all, for freedom, justice and peace.

Today, the world is celebrating human rights under the theme of “reducing inequalities and advancing human rights”, reasserting the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family.

The world did not need a pandemic to remind us of how unequally peoples and people are treated, how the most vulnerable amongst us must not be left behind.

And yet, COVID-19 continues to test our ability to safeguard life, and the global community is failing to protect this prerequisite for the enjoyment of all other human rights.

In the spirit of advancing human rights while we face unprecedented crises, and when climate change threatens our very existence, our forum today will address the theme of “Access to Safe, Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment as a Human Right”.

Human Rights Council Resolution 48/13

The UN Human Rights Council Resolution 48/13 was adopted just weeks before COP26.

This breakthrough resolution is the fruit of a battle fought for decades by environmental activists and rights’ defenders, which finally moved the international community to declare a new universal right.

It calls on states to act collectively with national and international partners. It sets some key actions for states to adopt appropriate policies to ensure the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment.

On the same day, the Human Rights Council adopted Resolution 48/14, appointing a Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the context of climate change.

Distinguished audience,

90% of human beings are breathing polluted air. Air pollution, primarily the result of burning fossil fuels, which also drives climate change, causes 13 deaths per minute worldwide.

WHO estimates that one in four deaths, globally, are linked to the environment.

Millions of children worldwide are severely impacted by the devastating consequences of the environmental crisis. 1.7 million of them die every year from inhaling contaminated air or drinking polluted water.

This calls for systemic, profound and rapid changes.

While non-legally binding, the resolution contains strong political commitments and is undeniably a tool to improve the lives of billions of people. Clean air, clean water, life in a more just and sustainable world.

197 countries and 120 world leaders have just come out the COP26, fully aware of the real and existential threat of the climate emergency and the criticality of bold action now.

The call for behavioural, regulatory, policy and financing changes was loud and clear, and should be heard not by governments alone but also by the private sector, civil society, communities, and all of us living on planet Earth.

As we embark on this bumpy ride to a more sustainable future, putting human rights at the centre of climate action, of conservation, of addressing pollution and of preventing future pandemics is a moral duty.

Life-changing improvement requires that we address environmental crises in a more coordinated, effective and non-discriminatory manner; that we all deliver on the promise to achieve the Sustainable Developing Goals; and that we provide stronger protection of rights, especially of those most impacted.

As it works to translate its vision for a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable future, Malaysia will need to review, reform and upgrade certain legislation and standards at the national level.

Ensuring clean air, safe and sufficient water, healthy and sustainably produced food, a safe climate, thriving ecosystems and biodiversity, and a toxic-free environment will require behavioural change, but also structural change.

Protecting rights and delivering on the commitments of Resolution 48/13 is intrinsically linked to ensuring access to information, to the guarantee to non-discrimination, to access to justice, to participation in policymaking, and to transparency and accountability.

There is no doubt that the triple planetary threats of climate change, pollution and nature loss is by far the greatest human rights challenge of our times. Millions face the real risk of losing their homes and being displaced, falling in extreme poverty, and becoming ill.

But Malaysia has the means and will to prevent such a catastrophic scenario, so allow me to share a few thoughts.

First, climate action and its human rights implications should be part of every department’s jurisdiction and work plan to build forward better and recover from the pandemic.

We encourage all ministries, but also states and local governments, to anchor their action in the values and commitments upheld in the 12th Malaysia Plan, the Foreign Policy Framework, the 2021 Voluntary National Review, the Human Rights Action Plan and other guiding frameworks and international standards.

Second, understand, explore and capitalize on interlinkages and synergies. Climate change action is inextricably linked to human rights, and human rights and leaving no one behind are at the core of the decade of action to achieve the SDGs.

An integrated approach will yield progress on many fronts. This goes hand in hand with institutional coherence and coordination.

Third, and building on the very promising practice championed by YB Dato Saifuddin, enhance multi-stakeholder engagement to make sure that delivering on resolution 48/13 and other human rights treaties and obligations, is everyone’s business.

This would mean broadening civic space while guaranteeing freedom of expression and association to ensure that vulnerable people have access to justice and their voices get due recognition in government policies.

Fourth, educate and build awareness on human rights. This is one of the pillars of the UN’s work across countries and regions (alongside the Development, Humanitarian and Peace pillars). We have also seen the positive impact of advocating human rights within the UN, of ensuring that the organization applies a zero-tolerance to all forms of abuse and have put in place access to justice mechanisms and measures of redress.

We encourage building a whole-of-society collective understanding of rights and duties, of the challenges and areas for improvements, but also channels to voice concern and denounce violations.

Fifth, educate and build awareness on climate change and its implications for the country and for people. What do we mean by fully decarbonizing energy supplies? why is reversing forest loss and land degradation important? how is being a global carbon sink vital for Malaysians and the planet as a whole?

Evidence shows that the younger generation is extremely worried about climate change but aren’t sure how to engage to protect their right to a healthy future.

Behavioural change can only happen if everyone understands why it is important, to remote and peripheral areas, to poor coastal communities, but also to a young person in KL. And this also everyone’s role –media, NGOs, school teachers, technology…

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Malaysia has pledged to advance and protect human rights, prioritising in-depth reviews of several laws in response to the UPR recommendations and in compliance with the conventions the country is party to.

It is encouraging to see the Government’s engagement with SUHAKAM and human rights and sustainability champions on several pressing issues.

And as we focus on the nexus between climate action, environment sustainability, and human rights, we are delighted to have such an impressive line-up of panellists that will share with us their insights.

However, the dialogue that we have here today must not and cannot end here. We must collectively find ways to take the deliberations forward. We must act for those whose fundamental rights are violated and future jeopardized.

The UN Country Team in Malaysia remains committed to the UN SG’s Call to Action on Human Rights, an inspiration and a robust foundation of our work and partnerships with the Government, SUHAKAM, human rights defenders, civil society, businesses, young people, and vulnerable groups in urban and rural communities.

It is our duty to spare no effort to explain, raise awareness, and advocate, not only when we commemorate the Human Rights Day, but in every action that we take to protect the dignity and worth of every human person.

Thank you.