Day 1 | 20 September

SESSION 3:

Environmental Defenders as Levers of Change Supporting Climate Action and Responsible Business Practice

15:00-16:15 ICT

Background

The triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss represents the single greatest human rights challenge of our era. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has found that climate change is affecting every region in the world, and at least 3.3 billion people are highly vulnerable to its impacts. In Asia and the Pacific, climate-related disasters severely affected more than 57 million people in 2021, with more than 18 million people in India alone being severely impacted by floods and cyclones. Persons in vulnerable situations may experience heightened exposure and vulnerability to climate-induced human rights harms. People who are disproportionately at risk from the adverse impacts of climate change and environmental harm may include indigenous peoples, local communities, peasants, migrants, children, women, persons with disabilities, people living in small island developing States and least developed countries, persons living in conditions of water scarcity, desertification, land degradation and drought, and others in vulnerable situations who are at risk of being left behind.

Land and environmental defenders play a vital role as levers of change in protecting these climate-critical forests and ecosystems and standing up for communities and individuals who are disproportionately impacted by environmental harm. For many years, land and environmental defenders have been at the front line defending against the causes and impacts of the climate, pollution and biodiversity crisis. They have been advocates for sustainable practices and rights based development. Environmental defenders also play a vital and legitimate role holding duty bearers responsible for unsustainable practices which have resulted in violations of all peoples right to a safe, clean, healthy and sustainable environment.

Many environmental human rights defenders raise concerns about large development projects that affect access to land and livelihoods, and the rights of indigenous peoples and/or local communities. Environmental defenders can be key partners for business, government and other development partners to support rights based and just transition and a sustainable future. Despite their important role in supporting sustainable development, their bravery and leadership, people working to protect the planet, often risk with their own lives for their advocacy and actions. In 2020, Global witness recorded 227 murdered land and environmental defenders. Business and human rights resources center also published data which demonstrates that among the 615 attacks they tracked in 2021, nearly 70% were against climate, land and environmental human rights defenders.

The UNGPs recognize the critical role of human rights defenders as part of the business and human rights ecosystem. The UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights recently released guidance on ensuring respect for human rights defenders. The guidance unpacks for States and business the normative and practical implications of the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights in relation to protecting and respecting the vital work of human rights defenders.

Objectives

The key objectives of this session are to:

Identify Increase understanding of participants on the crucial role and contributions of EHRDs in supporting responsible business practice, climate actions and just transition.
Raising awareness of the situation of EHRDs in the region and discuss concrete recommendations on actions needed to partner with, support, promote and protect EHRDs.
Sharing information concerning good practices, tools and initiatives to provide a positive, safe and enabling environment in which EHRDs can operate free from violence, threats, hindrance and insecurity.

Guiding Questions

Panelists will reflect on the following questions:

What is the role of EHRDs in supporting climate action and environmental protection?
What are the trends of challenges and drivers of attacks against human rights defenders working in the area of climate and environment protection?
What are the key recommendations of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights guidance to ensure respect for human rights defenders and how business entities integrate them in their operation?

Day1 programme

SPEAKERS

Wanun Permpibul

Climate Watch Thailand

AnnaMaria Oltrop

AnnaMaria Oltorp is Head of the Development Cooperation Section at the Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok since September 2021. She is a staff member of the Embassy, and sent out by the Swedish development cooperation agency (Sida). Her area of responsibility is to implement Sweden’s strategy for regional development cooperation in Asia and the Pacific. For the last seven years (2014-2021), she was heading the Unit for Research Cooperation at Sida in Stockholm, with a global mandate and supporting research in all disciplines and research capacity building in countries such as Bolivia, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. Prior to this (2008-2014), she worked as Head for Regional Development Cooperation in Asia out of Stockholm and later in Bangkok (2011-2014). Throughout that period, she was responsible for Swedish regional development cooperation in Asia as well as bilateral development cooperation with Myanmar, and 2008-2011 also with Laos, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, and Timor Leste. She joined Sida in 2002 and worked until 2008 at the Unit for Research Cooperation as a senior research adviser and later as head of the section for health and social sciences research. AnnaMaria has a research background in Economics and Environmental Economics from Stockholm School of Economics, focusing on trade, institutions and tropical deforestation. In 1995/1996 she worked as lecturer for MSc students in international economics at Cambodia Development Research Institute (CDRI) in Phnom Penh.

Pichamon Yeophantong

Pichamon Yeophantong is Associate Professor and Head of Research at the Centre for Future Defence and National Security, Deakin University. She also leads the Responsible Business Lab and the Environmental Justice and Human Rights Project, which are funded by an Australian Research Council Fellowship. As a political scientist, Pichamon teaches and publishes field-based research on business and human rights, and the political economy of sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific. She has advised a range of civil society organisations, NGOs and government agencies on rights, security and investment issues, including Jubilee Australia Research Centre, Oxfam, and the Australian Water Partnership. Prior to joining Deakin, Pichamon held academic positions at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Princeton University, and the University of Oxford. She holds a PhD and MA from the Australian National University and a BA from Thammasat University. In recognition of her work with local partners on initiatives to support the resilience of women leaders and environmental human rights defenders in Southeast Asia, Pichamon was awarded the 2018 Australia 'Future Leader' Prize by the Council for the Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.

Lia Mai Torres

Lia Mai Torres has more than a decade of experience in community research, education and organizing. She graduated BS Community Development in the University of the Philippines - Diliman and currently taking her post-graduate studies in MS Environment and Natural Resource Management at the University of the Philippines - Open University. She is currently the Executive Director of the Center for Environmental Concerns - Philippines and part of the secretariat of the Asia Pacific Network of Environment Defenders.

Annie Khan

Annie Khan is BHRRC’s Asia Regional Manager, supporting the Asia team in the organisation’s mission to advance human rights in business. She is a licensed attorney whose career has been focused on international human rights, with previous experience at organizations like Amnesty International, American Bar Association Center for Human Rights, U.S. Institute of Peace and the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission in the House of Representatives in Washington, DC. Her work has mainly been research and advocacy-based, with a specific focus on the state of human rights in emerging economies in South Asia. Annie holds a J.D from Columbus School of Law, Catholic University, Washington, D.C. and a B.A with a double major in Political Science, International Affairs from the George Washington University, Washington, D.C. She has studied human rights law under scholars at the London School of Economics, American University School of Law and Singapore Management University, and currently teaches courses on responsible business with IICA and Symbiosis School of Law, India.

Georgina Lloyd

Dr. Georgina Lloyd Rivera is the Regional Coordinator (Asia and the Pacific) of Environmental Law and Governance for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Georgina’s works covers the areas of environmental rights, environmental crime, technical assistance in environmental law and capacity building at the national and regional level. Georgina has been involved in capacity building for environmental law within Southeast Asia and has provided advice to government and non-government stakeholders on environmental law and policy issues. 

Andy Yentriyani

Andy Yentriyani, born on January 24, 1977, was a commissioner at the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan) from 2010 to 2014. Andy finished her undergraduate education at Universitas Indonesia’s Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, majoring in International Relations, and went on to pursue a master’s degree in Media and Communication at the University of London. She has been involved in Komnas Perempuan since 2000, preventing and eliminating violence against women. Andy Yentriyani was appointed as Chair of the National Commission on Violence Against Women for the 2020-2024 period.

Romchat Wachirarattanakornkul

Human Rights, Climate Change and Environment Focal Point, OHCHR

United Nations Responsible Business and Human Rights Forum, Asia-Pacific