HRC 62 - EU statement - Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on human rights and climate change
UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
62nd session
Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on human rights and climate change
19 June 2026
EU Statement
Mr. President,
The EU thanks the Special Rapporteur for her report [on Transforming food systems for a safe climate and health for all]. The report raises the adverse human rights impacts on workers, rural communities and those in marginalised situations, particularly women. It also highlights the impact of large-scale food businesses on everyone’s human right to health, adequate food, clean drinking water, clean, healthy and sustainable environment and a safe planet with a stable climate.
Fostering sustainable and responsible corporate behaviour is paramount. The EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive is aimed at identifying and addressing adverse human rights and environmental impacts of actions of large-scale companies. The EU has introduced social conditionality concept ensuring that labour-intensive sectors, such as agriculture, can only access public funds (through the Common Agriculture Policy) if they comply with fundamental labour standards and social rights. Deforestation and Forced Labour Regulations ban products linked to deforestation, land-use conversion, or forced labour from entering the EU market, aiming to protect the rights of indigenous and local communities marginalised by industrial monoculture and lack of tenure rights and to bring down greenhouse gas emissions and biodiversity loss.
The result of this significant shift is better protection of human rights, including labour rights and healthier environment, including climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Climate adaptation action must better leverage synergies with broader work on disaster risk management. Nature-based solutions are essential for sustaining healthy water, oceans and soils. Implementing them on a larger scale would increase climate resilience.
The EU and its Member States are world’s largest provider of climate finance, with total contribution in 2024 amounting to €42.7 billion to support developing countries in combating climate change. Roughly €15.85 billion are dedicated specifically to adaptation efforts and mitigation benefits, crucial to safeguarding rights to life, health, adequate food, and housing.
Madam, Special Rapporteur,
How can we effectively ensure that policies on food systems uphold rights-based principles, address disparities and ensure climate-relief efforts reach those in vulnerable and marginalised situations first?
Thank you.