Monday, September 23, 2019

Greta Thunberg, 15 other climate activists file lawsuit with UN against five countries

Sixteen climate change activists from around the world have filed a lawsuit against five countries with the United Nation’s Third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The main petitioners are Swedish activist Great Thunberg and American activist and Earth Uprising founder Alexandria Villasenor.

The other petitioners, who are aged between 8-17, that are part of the lawsuit include Chiara Sacchi from Argentina, Catarina Lorenzo from Brazil, Iris Duquesne from France, Raina Ivanova from Germany, Ridhima Pandey from India, David Ackley III, Ranton Anjain and Litokne Kabua from Marshall Islands, Deborah Adegbile from Nigeria, Carlos Manuel from Palau, Ayakha Melithafa from South Africa, Ellen-Anne from Sweden, Raslen Jbeili from Tunisia and Carl Smith from the USA.

The lawsuit is filed against five countries Germany, France, Brazil, Argentina, and Turkey. The activists believe that these nations have not kept to their obligations to tackle climate change and have failed to solve the crisis which they believe constitutes the violation of children’s rights.

The 16 climate change activists from all around the world during the press conference. Image credit; UN

The 16 climate change activists from all around the world during the press conference. Image credit; UN

The convention is a voluntary mechanism which allows children or adults on their behalf to appeal directly to the United Nations for help if a country that has ratified the Protocol fails to provide a remedy for a rights violation. Major emission contributors, USA, China and the other nation’s part of the European Union were not included in the petition.

The petition talks about their future and how it will be adversely affected by climate change. They blame the inaction of the world leaders in ignoring the crisis and the available science.

According to the petitioners, these five countries are “causing and perpetuating the climate crisis” by ‘failing to reduce its emission.’ They have also caused the activists harm by injuring them and violating their right to life, health and affecting the indigenous petitioners their right to their culture.

If the activists win the lawsuit, the countries named will be forced to work with other nations to fix the problem and take part in existing initiatives. They will also have to change their laws and policies in support climate change mitigation and adaptation.

This petition was announced in the headquarters of UNICEF in New York after Greta Thunberg delivered a powerful speech at the United Nations general assembly. During her speech, she blamed member nations from not doing their best and said that the youth will not forgive them if they fail to act on climate change.

The petition can be read here.

They also have a website that introduces the other petitioners and explains the lawsuit and you can find it here.



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