© UN Photo / E. Schneider
Survivors of Super Typhoon Haiyan, Philippines

The event aims to present and discuss the Oslo Principles on Global Obligations to Reduce Climate Change, adopted on 1 March 2015 by a group of experts in international law, human rights and environmental law.

The rate of global climate change is widely understood to be at a tipping point that requires urgent action in order to avert disaster. Scientists from prestigious European research institutes (Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research in Norway and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research, Germany) will present and discuss the state of the climate, projections and risks, as an introduction to the presentations by a group of experts on the Oslo Principles.

The strength of prevailing scientific opinion requires action as set forth in the Oslo Principles and international law. International law entails obligations to act cooperatively to protect and advance fundamental human rights, including in the context of climate change and its effects on people’s ability to exercise such rights.

Within this framework, the experts will explain how the Oslo Principles point out the legal obligations of states in the face of climate change and its effects.