ABU DHABI (WAM), 2nd May 2023 — The Abu Dhabi Judicial Department recently organized a series seminars and workshops to discuss national and international legal frameworks on human rights, protecting the environment and dealing with climate change risks.
The event is aligned with the UAE strategic directions for the Year of Sustainability 2023, and in preparation to host the Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Counsellor Youssef S. Al Abri, the Undersecretary for the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department reaffirmed the commitment of his department to support the UAE Government’s goals of achieving sustainable development, and to implement the directives of Her Highness Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan Vice President, Deputy Premier, Minister of Presidential Court, and Head of Judicial Department.
He also stressed the importance of creating a legal and judicial system which is innovative and effective in addressing challenges.
The seminars and workshops were a great opportunity to highlight the importance of human rights when it comes to protecting the environment and tackling climate change. Discussions highlighted the importance of human rights-based climate action in ensuring a sustainable and healthy future. This is especially true with regards to the UAE’s efforts to tackle environmental and climate issues and to implement international commitments.
The participants of the seminar held in March and April 2023 discussed the efforts made by the state to promote the human rights when it comes to climate action. They also discussed the role played by individuals, state institutions, and the judiciary in combating climate change and its effects. The participants also discussed the role that civil society can play in raising awareness about the importance of protecting climate change.
The seminars also highlighted that the role of the judicial authorities in protecting and upholding rights is crucial, especially in the face of climate change, which has become a major threat in areas with severe droughts and floods.
Speakers stressed the importance of protecting human rights and providing resources for sustainable development in these areas.
The participants also discussed the legal framework, judicial system, and administrative structure for the environmental auditing by institutions. This is to assess and monitor the phenomena, as well as the impact on protecting, developing and maintaining the ecosystems of projects, and conserving biodiversity, which are tools for environmental protection.
