Activists disappointed by removal of text for human rights protection from COP21 draft/ENG

2015. december 14./Phayul.com/TibetPress

eredeti cikk

By Tenzin Monlam

DHRAMSHALA, December 14: The Tibet Third Pole team, while welcoming the adoption of the COP21 Agreement, voiced its disappointment over the ‘removal of human rights protection binding language text from the final draft of COP21 agreement.

Lobsang Yangtso, a member of Tibet Third Pole, welcomed the agreement that recommends climate change adaptation that takes traditional knowledge, knowledge of indigenous peoples and local knowledge systems into account and also recognizes the fundamental priority of safeguarding food security.

“Now it is vital that these references are used to deliver justice for impacted people on the frontline of climate change. Tibet Third Pole will continue to press China to halt the removal of Tibet’s nomads from the Tibetan grasslands,” she said.

Despite the ‘commendable’ climate agreements, Yangtso feels that this hasn’t come a moment too soon for the plateau, which is ‘warming more than twice as fast as the rest of the world.’

“There is still so much work to be done for climate justice and Tibetans and Tibet supporters will continue to stand with other frontline communities in pressing for binding commitments to reduce warming still further,” she said.

MandieMckeown of International Tibet Network, said, “We take away a number of positives from our time in Paris, having been able to convey our concerns about the Tibetan Plateau to a great many influential leaders, and make connections with like-minded organizations and peoples.”

The team urged 10 Asian nations downstream from Tibet to form a multilateral forum to pressure China for an immediate moratorium on all damming and mining projects in Tibet, thereby leading to a more secure water-sharing environment in South and South East Asia and safeguarding food, water, ecological and economic security.

The team, a coalition of more than 185 Tibet groups across world along with the Central Tibetan Administration has been in the Paris for over two weeks raising the climate crisis issues in Tibet, also known as, ‘The Third Pole’