Civil society groups have reviewed Bangladesh’s progress on 12 climate-related UPR recommendations and outlined priorities for monitoring, evidence generation and policy advocacy.
Civil society organisations in Bangladesh have called for a clear roadmap to protect human rights from the worsening impacts of climate change, urging stronger institutional coordination, systematic monitoring and evidence-based policy measures.
The call came at a national advocacy seminar titled “Stock-Take Exercise on the Implementation of UPR-4 Recommendations for Safeguarding Against Climate-Induced Human Rights Violations in Bangladesh”, held at the Brac Centre Inn in Dhaka on Saturday.
The event was jointly organised by the Center for Participatory Research and Development (CPRD), Action Against Hunger (ACF) and the Climate Justice Alliance-Bangladesh. It brought together policymakers, human rights defenders, climate experts, academics, researchers and civil society representatives.
The seminar examined Bangladesh’s progress in implementing climate-related recommendations accepted by the government under the fourth cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), while identifying gaps requiring further action.
Participants also established a civil society platform and drew up an action plan centred on evidence generation, monitoring and advocacy to strengthen safeguards against human rights violations linked to climate change.
In his opening remarks, Md Shamsuddoha, chief executive of CPRD and national coordinator of the Climate Justice Alliance-Bangladesh, said Bangladesh had supported two climate-related recommendations during the third UPR cycle in 2018, aimed at addressing and mitigating the adverse effects of climate change.
A coalition of 15 civil society organisations led by CPRD subsequently made a joint submission during the fourth UPR cycle in 2023.
The submission documented evidence of climate-induced human rights violations and proposed strategic measures across seven thematic areas. The government later accepted 12 recommendations for implementation during 2024-2027.
“We have the responsibility to follow up on how far these pledges have been translated into policies, programs, and actions, and to identify the pathways to address the gaps,” Shamsuddoha said.
Nurun Nahar, additional secretary at Bangladesh’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, said climate change was increasingly contributing to human rights violations in the country, with climate-vulnerable and frontline communities facing the greatest burden.
She said international climate negotiations had not yet adequately institutionalised mechanisms to address human rights violations caused by climate change.
“This remains a major concern for us,” she said.
Sheikh Nur Ataya Rabbi, programme manager for research and advocacy at CPRD, presented the keynote address, outlining evidence of climate change-induced human rights violations documented since the third UPR cycle.
The presentation also reviewed civil society recommendations submitted during the fourth UPR cycle and assessed progress in implementing them.
Fazle Rabbi Sadek Ahmed, a former additional secretary of the Department of Environment and former deputy managing director of PKSF, called for stronger institutional coordination, systematic monitoring and evidence generation.
He also urged sustained policy advocacy to ensure that commitments made through the UPR process are translated into effective measures on the ground.
Shaheen Anam, MBE, executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation, praised CPRD and its partners for leading the initiative and called for continued efforts to protect climate-vulnerable and frontline communities.
She stressed the importance of stronger cooperation among human rights defenders, climate experts, academics and civil society organisations.
Md Ziaul Haque, a former additional director general of the Department of Environment, said the government was concerned about climate-induced violations but needed to substantially strengthen institutional capacity to provide adequate safeguards.
He also called for greater support from the international community and civil society organisations.
An expert panel discussion was held during the seminar, bringing together policymakers, human rights experts and defenders, climate change specialists, academics, researchers and civil society representatives.
The discussion examined implementation gaps, institutional responsibilities, evidence generation and potential policy and advocacy pathways to ensure Bangladesh’s UPR commitments result in tangible protection for communities facing the growing human rights consequences of climate change.
