Philippines Amplifies Call for Climate Justice at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva 

GENEVA 11 July 2025 — The Philippines, together with Bangladesh and Vietnam,  amplifies its longstanding advocacy for climate justice with the adoption of the  resolution on Human Rights and Climate Change on 08 July 2025, at the recently  concluded 59th Session of the Human Rights Council (HRC) in Geneva. 

The Philippines, Bangladesh, and Vietnam, are the initiators of the annual HRC  resolution on Human Rights and Climate Change which was launched in 2008. This  year’s iteration, under the stewardship of Bangladesh, highlights climate financing  gaps that limit developing countries’ capacity to allocate resources to effectively address the wide-ranging human rights impact of the climate crisis, especially on the  most vulnerable.  

According to the 2024 UN Secretary General’s analytical study on the impact of loss  and damage on the enjoyment of human rights, developing countries are estimated to  require at least 2.4 trillion USD annually of climate finance, including for adaptation,  mitigation and loss damage. The study further stated that climate finance from  developed countries has so far been below current and projected needs and  obligations.  

“Developing countries are expected to incur at least 580 billion US dollars of loss and  damage every year by 2030. This is according to the same Secretary General’s study which was mandated by the Philippine-led resolution adopted by the Council in 2023.  Loss and damage shackle development and infringe on the human rights of millions  of people around the world, especially in developing countries”, Philippine Permanent  Representative to the UN in Geneva Carlos D. Sorreta said. 

He added that “the most vulnerable yet least responsible bears the brunt of the grave  consequences of this crisis. Climate change is a human rights crisis at its core. This is  why the Philippines, as a climate vulnerable country, is at the forefront of climate  discussions in multilateral fora to foster stronger international consensus and solidarity  for equity-based approaches to climate action”. 

The Philippines lauds the adoption by consensus of the resolution which calls for  equitable access to finance enabling countries to enhance their adaptive capacities to  the adverse impact of climate change. It likewise encourages international financial  institutions and multilateral development banks to provide timely, concessional and  low-cost financial schemes to help states expand fiscal space for climate action. 

The resolution welcomed the Philippines’ hosting of the Board of the Fund for  Responding to Loss and Damage and encouraged States to implement human rights education on the environment and climate change, taking into consideration the World Programme on Human Rights Education which is another Philippine initiative in the Human Rights Council.  

Next year, the Philippines will once again lead discussions on and table the same resolution at the 62nd Session of the Human Rights Council in June-July 2026. The country last took the lead in 2023, when it successfully shepherded HRC resolution 53/6, which put a spotlight on loss and damage as a human rights issue. END

For more information, visit https://www.genevapm.dfa.gov.ph,  https://www.facebook.com/PHinGeneva/ or https://www.instagram.com/phingeneva/.