communications, Author at Franciscans International

Tensions tracing back to the controversial 1969 referendum that incorporated West Papua into the Republic of Indonesia continue to be at the root of the political repression, impoverishment, and marginalization that are now part of the daily lives of native Papuans. Ongoing clashes between the Indonesian government and pro-independence separatists have caused thousands of people to flee their homes. Many have sought refuge in remote shelters in the forest, where access to food, medication, and sanitation is minimal. Those who go back to their villages face constant surveillance and intimidation, and are met with ransacked houses, schools and hospitals, previously used as military posts.

At the same time, West Papua’s vast natural wealth is also being unsustainably exploited for its palm oil, copper, gold, forest trees, and natural gas. While Indigenous peoples benefit little from these projects, they almost exclusively bear their negative impacts, including the destruction of lands, contamination of water sources, and subsequent health issues. Decades of the government’s transmigrasi program have changed the demographic makeup of West Papua, thereby weakening the social-economic status of Indigenous Papuans by limiting their employment opportunities. The influx of transmigrants with different cultural traditions and practices from the rest of Indonesia has fostered a sense among West Papuans that they have become strangers in their own land.

We asked Father Alexandro Rangga OFM, a Franciscan priest who has lived in West Papua for the past 19 years, to share his insights on the current situation. Father Rangga works at the Commission for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC), where he helps to monitor and document human rights violations on the ground and bring them to the United Nations through Franciscans International.

Can you explain how the situation in West Papua has evolved in the past few years?

In the past years, things have mostly deteriorated. Although the Indonesian government has shifted from a security approach towards a ’welfare’ approach, they still use soldiers to lead that program on the ground. This is disturbing because people already have a long and traumatic experience with the military. The situation for internally displaced persons (IDPs) is also worrying. We currently have between 60.000 and 100.000 IDPs, mainly from Maybrat, Kiwirok, and Intan Jaya.

Furthermore, since 2020, the Indonesian government has been developing ‘food estates’ throughout West Papua. The issue is that, when the government wants to use land for these projects, they often don’t get people’s consent. In Papua, Indigenous people rely on customary land, so when the government wants to use it for a palm oil plantation, they need to get their permission. However, they usually directly strike a deal with the tribal leaders without consulting other members, or they use local authorities or the military to take over the land by force. In both cases, the government ignores people’s right to free, prior, and informed consent.

What are the main areas of concern of Franciscans on the ground?

Because of their history with Indonesia, Papuans often focus on the lack of civil and political rights. But, when we talk about the human rights situation in West Papua, it is important not to forget about economic, social, and cultural rights. This year, we addressed some of these issues through the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR). In our submission we focused on customary land issues, the disparities between Indigenous Papuans and migrants, and access to health facilities and education – especially for internally displaced persons.

In March, I came to Geneva for the reviews of Indonesia by both the CESCR and the Committee on Civil and Political Rights (CCPR). Based on the talks we had there, I have to say that I was disappointed when the Indonesian delegation just referred to their laws while ignoring the data presented by civil society organizations. They did not counter our information or answer our questions.

More generally, I find it hard to retain international attention, especially when the world is busy with other crises such as Ukraine and Gaza. Still, based on my experience of over five years, it seems that the situation in West Papua is now better known. This is a testimony to Franciscans International’s advocacy work with UN experts and diplomats.

Former general Prabowo Subianto won Indonesia’s 2024 presidential elections and will take office in October. What do you think this means for West Papua?

At first, I was perplexed by this result because Prabowo has been accused of grave human rights violations. These allegations include the abduction and disappearance of pro-democracy activists in 1997-98 and war crimes during the occupation of East Timor. Still, almost 70 percent of people living in West Papua voted for him. Now, if you look at the demographics of West Papua, you can see that a large part of the population at this time are transmigrants, which might have affected election numbers.

I think these results might make things more difficult for us. It is unlikely that there will be a better approach to West Papua because, according to what Prabowo said during his electoral campaign, he will continue the program of his predecessor. For West Papuans, knowing that the elected president is a perpetrator of human rights violations, the future remains uncertain.

In this context, how are you and Franciscans on the ground going to approach the human rights work?

Based on this situation, we will try to support and strengthen the capacity of people at the grassroots but also focus on local documentation and monitoring reports. Next year, we are planning to go around eight main parishes in remote areas of West Papua. The goal is, together with the parish priests and the local government, to empower people at the grassroots to fight for their rights to health, education, and customary land. I think these types of local projects are vital so that we don’t only rely on the international community.

Still, I want to call all the people, all the civil society at local and national levels but also internationally for whom human rights issues are important, to raise the situation in West Papua. It is important to bring awareness to international actors, but also to the people in Indonesia so they can have comprehensive information about what is happening in West Papua. By understanding the situation, they can help us bring up the human rights issues we are facing.

On October 1, we co-organized a side event at the United Nations to address the ongoing human rights violations in West Papua. Learn more about it here.

In November, Franciscans International welcomed a Friar Minor from Bosnia-Herzegovina, a Franciscan Missionary Sister of Assisi, and two Secular young Franciscans from Madagascar to take part in the pre-sessions for their countries’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR). Their visits to Geneva offered the chance to highlight the urgent human rights issues identified by Franciscans in a series of local workshops throughout 2024 and make specific recommendations at the UN to address these.

The UPR is a UN mechanism through which States examine each other’s human rights records and make suggestions to improve areas of concern. At the end of the process, the country under review can choose which of these recommendations it will accept. These, in turn, provide a valuable handhold for civil society and faith-based organizations working at the grassroots, as they provide concrete benchmarks to demand action from authorities and hold governments accountable.

Because civil society only has limited opportunities to intervene directly during the examination by States, UPR Info has organized these pre-sessions since 2012. Throughout this process, FI and Franciscans from these three countries will be calling attention to the following issues:

Bosnia-Herzegovina

Key concerns: strengthening national human rights institutions, the right to a healthy environment, and the rights of migrants.

Despite generally being well regarded, only 50 percent of the recommendations made by Bosnia-Herzegovina’s National Human Rights Institution are implemented – a situation that could be addressed by changing the law to make these enforceable subject to court supervision. Franciscans are also calling on the government to urgently reduce high levels of air pollution in cities – Sarajevo has topped the list of the most polluted in at least one instance – to reduce the risk of non-communicable diseases. Finally, as a transit country for migrants seeking to enter the European Union, the government should review its immigration laws and policies to ensure that people on the move are treated with dignity.

Italy

Key concerns: the right to health, the right to a healthy environment, the rights of prisoners, and the rights of migrants.

Franciscans are drawing attention to the structural fracture in healthcare quality between the northern and southern regions, calling on the government to take concrete steps to reduce this inequality. Healthy forestry is vital to providing a healthy biodiversity and ecosystem, which are currently under threat in Italy. Franciscans are calling for the protection of the national forest heritage and a national action plan for sustainable forest management. Meanwhile, the figure for self-harm in Italian prisons stands at 18 percent, with suicide rates being 18 times higher than on the outside. Immediate action should be taken to reduce the number of detained persons in Italy’s overcrowded prisons. Finally, considering the experiences of Franciscans providing care to migrants, Italy should ensure that the rights of migrants and refugees are respected and avoid amplifying disinformation and xenophobic rhetoric.

Madagascar

Key concerns: extreme poverty, the right to a healthy environment, and internal displacement

Madagascar is facing extreme climate hazards that have already resulted in a prolonged drought in the south – pushing 1.47 million people into food insecurity. Subsequent internal displacement to the North has fueled tensions over land between displaced and host communities. Franciscans are calling on the government to adopt a comprehensive migration policy that specifically addresses the adverse effects of climate change on vulnerable populations. The government should also provide local authorities with adequate resources and training to manage internal migration flows in line with international human rights and constitutional standards.

The Universal Periodic Reviews of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Italy, and Madagascar will take place in January 2025.

Top picture: Fetra Soloniaina, Brother Antony Baketaric OFM, Sister Charity Nkandu FMSA, Brother Eunan McMullan, Panuga Pulenthiran, and Fabiola Todisoa at FI’s office.

From 11 to 22 November, the world will turn its eyes to the 29^th UN Climate Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan. As the planet keeps warming due to human activities, the 1.5°C limit established by the Paris Agreement is getting alarmingly closer. Crossing this threshold – and any increase beyond – would have further devastating consequences, such as extreme heatwaves and droughts, glaciers and sea ice melting, accelerating sea level rise, hurricanes, wildfires, and flooding, especially in countries already struggling with the effects of climate change.

The previous COP in Dubai, although reaching some important agreements, has been disappointing to many environmental justice advocates for its lack of ambition and concrete results. Indeed, while science is clear about the need to rapidly phase out fossil fuels if we want to have a chance of meeting the 1.5°C target, world leaders only agreed to “transition away” from fossil fuels. This decision was made amid growing concerns over corporate capture of the negotiations, as COP28 welcomed a record number of fossil fuel lobbyists. After the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the 2024 COP will again be hosted by a country that has announced a major fossil fuel expansion.

Key issues at stake

At each UN Climate Conference, the stakes get higher – as does the need to accelerate meaningful efforts. While the question of how to finance climate change mitigation and adaptation has been prominent every year, negotiators at COP29 – often referred to as the “Finance COP” – are specifically tasked to address the shortfall of funding for these measures. Here are a few things to watch for:

The New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG): Governments are scheduled to adopt a new climate finance goal to support developing countries in their climate actions. A key element of the Paris Agreement, the NCQGs will replace the original 100 billion USD target set in 2009. For now, it remains unclear who should pay and how the funds should be managed.

Updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs): NDCs are plans set by each country to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. The Paris Agreement requires countries to update their NDCs every 5 years, which means a new set of NDCs is due in 2025. The UAE, Azerbaijan, and Brazil – COP Presidencies Troika – are expected to announce their NDCs at COP29.

Loss and Damage Fund: A major outcome of COP28 in Dubai was the operationalization of a dedicated fund for responding to loss and damage, which has been a long-time request of developing countries in the negotiations. However, only 700 million USD was pledged at COP28, while vulnerable countries may face as much as 580 billion USD in climate-related damages by 2030. COP29 is expected to review the Fund’s initial report, assess progress, and discuss key issues like eligibility criteria. The goal is to establish a loss and damage fund with clear triggers for quick support delivery, avoiding lengthy project-based funding processes.

What we’ll be advocating for

In recent years, we have witnessed that efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the impacts of climate change have fallen short. But when even adaptation reaches its limits, the losses and damages people suffer escalate. Whether these are economic, such as damage to infrastructure, or non-economic, such as the loss of culture, they need to be addressed.

While in Baku, Franciscans International’s delegation will focus on non-economic loss and damage (NELD), which involves those aspects that are not so easily quantifiable, such as the loss of territory, cultural heritage, and identity, but also the mental and emotional aspects of loss. Although this makes it more difficult to value them, they have equally significant impacts on human rights and well-being.

In the context of the upcoming discussions about the Loss and Damage Fund, it will be crucial to define what constitutes NELD, to emphasize the importance of capturing the full range of issues that should be addressed, and to find ways to ensure effective remedies for those experiencing them. At the same time, the countries most responsible for causing climate change should bear a greater duty to support those who least contributed to it yet are most affected by its impacts.

Our advocacy builds on the ongoing efforts of a faith-based alliance that has been raising NELD at the United Nations. During the 56^th Session of the UN Human Rights Council, FI co-organized a side-event, where panelists – including the UN Special Rapporteur on climate change – addressed the numerous ways in which loss and damage intersect with human rights.

Faith-based organizations often have deep-rooted connections with affected communities, positioning them uniquely to raise awareness about the impacts of inadequate financing and adaptation measures on people’s lives. From this perspective, the Geneva Interfaith Forum – of which FI is a member – has been conducting a research project to contribute to a more comprehensive understanding of climate-induced non-economic loss and damage. Key initial findings – including mental health impacts – were presented in September 2024. The final study is expected to be published during COP29.

Where to find us during COP29

Franciscan Climate Talks

Part 1: Franciscan Climate Talks – Looking ahead

Part 2: Franciscan Climate Talks – Live from Baku

Part 3: Franciscan Climate Talks – Last days at COP29

Part 4: Franciscan Climate Talks – Reflecting on COP29

Informal Interfaith Gathering in the Spirit of Talanoa Dialogue (6 November – Online).

Based on a traditional form of dialogue by the Indigenous People of Fiji to solve problems within the community, we’ll meet to exchange our initiatives, concerns, and hopes in our work for climate justice.

Beyond Material Loss: Exploring Non-Economic Impacts of Climate Change through Faith-Based Perspectives (13 November – 10:30 Baku / GMT+4 – Faith Pavilion in the Blue zone).

Live stream and recording

Exploring Non-Economic Impacts of Climate Change: Faith-Based Insights on Loss and Damage (15 November – 11:30 Baku / GMT+4 – Room Side Event 5 in the Blue zone).

Franciscans International joined its Ugandan partners in early October for a three-day workshop ahead of the country’s examination by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Despite the legal protections that are formally in place, young women and children continue to be at risk of serious human rights violations, including early marriages, female genital mutilation, and human trafficking. Drawing on the insights of Franciscans and other partners working directly with affected children and youth, the meeting provided an opportunity to discuss these issues and explore recommendations that can be made during the upcoming UN review.

Although the Ugandan constitution puts the legal age for marriage at eighteen and prohibits forced marriage, customary laws, cultural norms, and social pressure all contribute to entrenching early marriages. Closely linked to this is the prevalence of teenage pregnancies – both of which have been on the rise since the Covid-19 lockdowns. Poverty and an educational system that is chronically underfunded further contribute to the vulnerability of young women and girls.

Poverty is also a driving factor of school dropouts, forced labor, sexual exploitation, and domestic servitude. Girls are particularly at risk of being trafficked for domestic labor in the Middle East and the Gulf States. Despite some improvements to identify victims and prosecute perpetrators, there is still a lack of social, psychological, and legal support from authorities for those who manage to return – much of that is left to civil society and faith-based organizations. All these factors combine to negatively affect the socio-economic empowerment of girls and further isolate them from society.

Since Uganda already has extensive legislation in place to address these issues, Franciscans will highlight the need to take a holistic approach to fully utilize and operationalize these protections. This should include awareness raising and improved implementation at the local level, and addressing the structural lack of funding that impedes the realization of children’s rights in the country. The recommendations will build on previous submissions made during the Universal Periodic Review and Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 2022 and the Human Rights Committee (CCPR) in 2023. Uganda will be reviewed by the Committee on the Rights of the Child in September 2025.

The universal recognition of the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment by the UN General Assembly in 2022 was almost five decades in the making. Yet, more than two years after this historic moment, the environmental crises that engulf our world continue unabated. It has never been more urgent for States to respect, protect, and fulfill this human right. A critical first step toward doing so is understanding its different dimensions.

“The Right to a Healthy Environment: From recognition to implementation” is a new publication by Franciscans International to empower human rights defenders, activists, and affected communities working to promote and defend this right. Developed together with Astrid Puentes Riaño, it traces the historical processes that led to the UN recognition of the right to a healthy environment, explains the different substantive and procedural elements that make up the right, and offers advice on how to incorporate it into ongoing advocacy efforts.

Underpinning the publication is a 2023 workshop held by Franciscans International with partners from the grassroots who shared their experiences, best practices, as well as strategies to support the implementation of the right to a healthy environment and avenues to hold those who violate the right accountable. Based on these conversations, the report considers lessons learned at the grassroots and identifies challenges ahead. It also covers several legal cases brought by affected communities claiming their right to a healthy environment.

“The Right to a Healthy Environment: From Recognition to Implementation” aims to be a source of inspiration and creativity for communities and movements on the ground. It is also an invitation to continue learning, coordinating, and sharing all these lessons whenever possible. Together, across the world, we can all contribute to protecting our beautiful planet.

Download in English

Download in Spanish

During the Human Rights Council in June 2024, Franciscans International invited Ms. Ana Victoria López from the Franciscan Network for Migrants (FNM) in Honduras.

The network started in 2018 through the observation that there were already many Franciscan congregations and communities independently working with migrants in Latin America. During a course in Guadalajara, given by the Office of Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation from Rome, friars and lay people working with migrants discussed the possibility of creating a Franciscan “cordon”, as it was called at the beginning.

Since then, not only have its members provided essential assistance on the ground, but they have also been defending migrants’ rights by taking part in regional processes such as Cartagena +40 negotiations and by engaging in international advocacy at the United Nations through FI. The network has been involved in a large range of issues, from the ever more hostile migration policies across the Americas to the increasingly negative consequences of climate change.

Ms. Lopez, who is the Communications Officer for the network and part of its Advocacy Committee, told us about some of their main priorities and challenges.

What are some of the current migratory trends that you observe in the region?

There is a very clear before and after with the increase of migrant caravans that started in 2017. Before, it was common to see men migrants travelling alone, but now, there are more and more migrants in transit making their journey to the United States in families or large groups. This is partially due to information shared on social media groups, where migrants who have managed to reach the United States tell those who consider embarking on the journey that it is safer to travel in large groups. Additionally, we have started to see more and more minors accompanied by a family relative. Sometimes, it is noticeable that they might not be direct family, because of their different accents.

Even though larger groups offer more protection, women are still very much at risk of sexual violence. Some women are also being convinced to become pregnant on their journey to supposedly increase their chances of obtaining a visa or asylum status once they reach the United States. We help them as much as we can, providing care and psychological support to those having experienced sexual violence and trauma. The network also assists migrants in transit by providing food, diapers or sanitary napkins. Often, they don’t have the money for these products, so it is important to be very attentive.

While the economic consequences of climate-induced migration are increasingly featured in international debates, non-economic loss and damage is still often overlooked. Do you see this with the migrants you work with?

I think it is a pending issue because there are specific physical damages, but also very specific emotional damages that do not have a quantitative value. However, it is much more practical for some governments to say: “We are going to pay them this much if they return to their own country,” or “we are going to give them the right to health care or free insurance”, or “we are going to give them a place to live.” But the reparation of non-economic damage is rarely mentioned. When it is, there is no follow-up. I think it is also important to understand the consequences of a crisis on someone not only as individual trauma, but also as something transversal for families and society. Still, it is not taken enough into account that most people fleeing their country have gone through physical violence, emotional violence, humiliation, and intimidation. This impacts their health, relationships, and jobs. There needs to be a better understanding of what happens after they have gone through this traumatic event.

With the upcoming elections in the United States, migration policies are at the center of the debate. What consequences do you see on the ground?

U.S. policies have important repercussions for Central American countries, but it is more about how those laws are implemented. At the borders, it’s the border police that governs. There is a distorted discourse between what the U.S. government says and what U.S. immigration does. We know that in the end, it is a very different reality on the ground.

For example, when migrant caravans arrived in the U.S., it was said that countries in Central America would give employment to those who went back. When we followed up on that, we realized that the hourly employment they were given was one or two hours to sweep the streets. It did not even earn them the minimum wage. This was not what had been politically announced. Even when it was achieved, it was only for a small number of people.

It is part of our role to bridge this gap by giving accurate information to migrants so that they know what to expect and do not believe everything they hear. In the end, I think it is more a matter of making visible the extent to which these immigration laws are actually exercised.

What is it like to try changing international policies?

I believe that any program that comes out of a political agenda should be in consultation with the civil society platforms that are directly attending to migrants and persons in mobility. We are not government officials, we are not from political parties, but we see the reality of what is happening on the ground. We are the shelters, the soup kitchens, the people at the frontlines. But most of the time, we are not consulted.

If the consultations were more inclusive, maybe they would have more impact because we could give important information. We are always concerned that the diplomats will make revisions that are only good on paper and that we do not see results on the ground. Even though the intentions behind these negotiations are good, as long as it is not understood that civil society should be able to contribute much more, changes will stay superficial.

Why is it still important for the Franciscan Network for Migrants to take part in these international processes?

In the network’s Advocacy Committee, each country team must have some knowledge of what the United Nations is and how to work with its mechanisms. This is especially important for the on-time delivery of inputs, because a lot is happening on the ground that needs to be documented. We are also learning as a network: while the strength of the FNM is that we are from different countries, maybe some answers or solutions will work for Panama, but they will not work for us in Honduras. Coming to the United Nations in Geneva allows us to provide inputs of what we experience and of the needs at the grassroots. Being here is very important for us to strengthen the convergence among the teams.

Learn more about:

The FNM’s work: https://franciscansinternational.org/blog/international-migrants-day-preserving-the-dignity-of-people-on-the-move/

Non-economic loss and damage: https://franciscansinternational.org/blog/the-unseen-costs-of-climate-change/

The dire economic situation and political repression in Venezuela have caused over 7 million people to leave the country in recent years. Nearly 3 million of them crossed the border into neighboring Colombia. Although the government has issued temporary protection permits to almost 70 percent of these migrants, they still face a range of challenges, including barriers to accessing healthcare, discrimination and exploitation in the workplace, and increased risk of gender-based violence. Recently, Franciscans International visited different Franciscan groups in Colombia working to support these displaced communities.

“Colombia has had more than 50 years of armed conflict that generated forced internal displacement and a humanitarian crisis. The first and second waves of Venezuelan migrants were added to the drama of displacement.” says Fabián Valderrama, who coordinates the activities of the Franciscan Network for Migrants (FNM) in Colombia. “The Franciscan Family in Colombia has always had this vocation of service and dedication to work with these communities.”

Franciscans across the country have been working to support displaced persons from Venezuela. Approaching their ministry from a ‘culture of encounter’, this ranges from providing psycho-social support to building and reinforcing networks of solidarity and mutual aid. Building on these connections, the FNM and FI are now undertaking a research project to gain a deeper understanding of the specific challenges faced by Venezuelan migrants in Colombia.

“As Franciscans, we live with the migrants and share their situation of vulnerability, in terms of public services, difficulties in accessing health care, transportation, etcetera,” says Brother Juan Rendón OFM, whose community of Friars Minor lives in the center of La Honda, one of the poorest neighborhoods of Medellin. “Here, you could say that, together with the migrants and displaced people, we are building hope.”

In August, FI joined the FNM teams in Armenia, Cali, and Medellin to take part in a series of focus group discussions. These conversations, which are to be followed by in-depth interviews, will provide the basis of concrete recommendations to authorities that can help improve the situation confronting migrants in the country. Supporting local advocacy efforts, FI will seek to raise the findings, as well as the dire human rights situation in Venezuela that fuels the current levels of displacement, through the relevant UN human rights mechanisms.

The Human Rights Council convenes for its 57th session between 9 September and 9 October 2024. You can find all our statements delivered during this session below as they become available. Our past advocacy interventions are available here.

Item 10: General Debate – The Philippines (9 October)

Despite its inherent weaknesses and failures, the recently concluded UN Joint Programme for Human Rights in the Philippines has been touted as a model to operationalize the Council’s Agenda Item 10. Yet, at its conclusion, the Joint Programme has only served to further entrench impunity and shield the government from scrutiny on key human rights issues. In a joint statement, we called for an objective and independent review to not only address the serious human rights concerns in the Philippines but also to ensure that the Council does not repeat its mistakes elsewhere.

• Full statement (English)

Annual Panel on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples – Guatemala (25 September)

Seventeen years ago, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples recognized their right to self-determination and the State obligation to prevent any act that would lead to the dispossession of Indigenous lands. However, today there are many obstacles to achieving these objectives. During the Human Rights Council, we raised the case of a nickel mine in El Estor, Guatemala that operates on Indigenous land without free, prior, and informed of the community and has caused widespread environmental damage. In a joint statement, we called on Guatemala to meet its international obligations and guarantee compliance with the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

• Full statement (Spanish)

Item 4: General Debate – Mozambique (25 September)

More than half a million people are still displaced by the conflict in Northern Mozambique. Over 1.5 million face dire humanitarian conditions, with limited access to food, shelter, water, sanitation, and education – leaving them vulnerable to radicalization by extremist organizations. The official narratives on the conflict in Cabo Delgado ignore the socio-economic disparities which fuel the conflict, in part driven by transnational corporations that exploit natural resources. We urged Mozambique to comply with international human rights and humanitarian law obligations, including by regulating businesses operating in this conflict situation.

• Full statement (English)

Item 4: General Debate – Indonesia (25 September)

In a joint statement, we expressed our concerns over the unnecessary and harsh force used against protestors opposing the Regional Election Bill in late August and against journalists covering the demonstrations. Reports of incommunicado detention during police sweeps and severe beatings of protesters reflect a broader pattern of escalating human rights violations in Indonesia. In this light, our concerns extend to proposed legal amendments that would unduly expand police power and allow for unwarranted military involvement in civilian governance.

• Full statement (English)

Item 3: General Debate – Honduras (20 September)

Although Honduras committed in 2023 to stop using petroleum coke and coal, it is still facilitating a thermo-electric project in the Tocoa municipality, which relies on petroleum coke. The environmental impact studies presented by the company in question contain vague, incomplete, and deficient information, and authorities should have canceled the project from the outset. Instead, community members opposing the project have been attacked, culminating in the brutal murder of environmental activist Juan Antonio Lopez on 14 September. At the Human Rights Council, we stressed that Honduras should urgently comply with its human rights obligations to protect its population and hold companies and public officials accountable for their actions and negligence.

• Full statement (Spanish)

Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on toxics and human rights – Guatemala (17 September)

Unchecked business activities in Guatemala are negatively impacting both the environment and the lives and human rights of Indigenous Peoples. Mineral extraction has contaminated aquifers with heavy metals. Agri-businesses have contaminated soil and watersheds with pesticides. This has led to environmental degradation, the destruction of ecosystems, loss of biodiversity, and increased risks to the health, food security, livelihoods, and culture of the country’s Indigenous Peoples. Guatemala must urgently comply with its international obligations by regulating and controlling extractive industries. At HRC57, we urged the government to ratify the Escazú Agreement as an essential step toward this goal.

• Full statement (Spanish)

Item 3: Interactive Dialogue on the report of the Secretary-General on the impacts of loss and damage from climate change (13 September)

The loss and damages caused by climate change go far beyond material destruction, deeply affecting human dignity, cultural identity, and emotional well-being. Together with the Geneva Interfaith Forum on Climate Change, Environment and Human Rights (GIF) we highlighted the unique position of faith communities in responding to the challenges posed by non-economic loss and damages. We called on the Council to integrate these insights into policies as a way to strengthen the international human rights frameworks and to ensure that non-economic loss and damage is addressed in a more holistic, culturally sensitive, and human-centered manner.

• Full statement (English)

Item 2: General Debate – Guatemala (11 September)

As noted by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, criminal law has been misused in Guatemala to persecute human rights defenders, justice operators, journalists, students, and Indigenous authorities. In this context, the upcoming selection process of new magistrates for the Supreme Court of Justice and the Court of Appeals is crucial. In a joint statement, we called on the international community to observe the proceedings, support civil society organizations already doing so, and stress the importance of a transparent process.

• Full statement (Spanish)

Item 2: General Debate – Cameroon (10 September)

While welcoming a recent visit by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, we remain concerned about the persistent impunity for serious human rights violations committed in Cameroon since 2017. Violent clashes between the national army and non-State armed groups continue to have a deep impact on civilians. With presidential elections scheduled for next year, we delivered this joint statement to call on authorities to create the conditions for a peaceful and transparent vote, in line with international standards. We also urged the government to create favorable conditions for peace and national reconciliation.

• Full statement (French)

Item 2: Interactive Dialogue on OHCHR report on Sri Lanka (9 September)

Sri Lanka has failed to make significant progress in upholding its human rights obligations. Franciscans International expressed its concerns about the lack of accountability mechanisms for victims of enforced disappearances and other violations in the past and present, as well as the lack of progress in the investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks. Considering this, we urged the Council to renew the mandate for OHCHR and its Sri Lanka Accountability project for at least two years.

• Full statement (English)

Written statements

Human Rights Situation in Cameroon: Meaningful Conflict Resolution and Accountability Processes

Violent clashes between armed separatists and the military continue to have a profound impact on civilians in Cameroon, with human rights violations being committed by both sides. Accountability remains a distant reality as victims’ complaints rarely result in court cases, eroding trust in judicial processes. Ahead of the Human Rights Council, we made several recommendations to address the root causes of the conflict and engage in meaningful accountability processes including by enforcing language equality, establishing an adequate legal framework, ensuring safe access to humanitarian and medical aid, and engaging in a constructive dialogue with all parties.

• Full statement (English)

Thumbnail photo: UN Photo / Jean Marc Ferré

Among the devasting consequences of climate change, the spotlight is often on the things we can put a price on, such as damage to infrastructure and property or the destruction of crops by a hurricane. However, climate hazards also threaten to cause a wide range of intangible impacts around the globe. For example, in Small Islands Developing States, rising sea levels put communities at risk of losing not only their lands and livelihoods, but also their cultural heritage, identity, and even language.

In other words, there are aspects of human life that cannot be considered as material goods that can be quantified financially. Additionally, any attempt to put a monetary value on the loss of life or human health raises serious ethical questions. Although the Alliance of Small Island States has been at the forefront of raising these issues since the 1990s, the concept of non-economic loss and damage (NELD) only emerged relatively recently as a policy issue under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

The 2012 UN Climate Conference (COP18) in Doha formally mentioned NELD for the first time and is considered a milestone in recognizing the need to address this otherwise overlooked reality. Since then, NELD has been included in the Warsaw International Mechanism for loss and damage and the Paris Agreement. However, there still is a lack of consensus on how to define and evaluate NELD. A comprehensive approach to address and compensate for these impacts of climate change is even further off.

To help move the debate forward, Franciscans International co-organized a side-event during the 56^th Session of the UN Human Rights Council to explore the ethical and human rights dimensions of NELD. This discussion, which brought together the new UN Special Rapporteur on climate change, human rights experts, and grassroots representatives was part of ongoing efforts by civil society to make this issue an integral part of the UN deliberations on climate change.

A blurry distinction

One of the common threads throughout the event was the complexity of the issue. The distinction between non-economic and economic losses and damages can sometimes be blurry and one can spill over to the other. For example, damage to an ecosystem due to climate change would be considered a non-economic loss, while the loss of food deriving from it would be economic. As Kira Vinke from the Climate Unit of the German Council on Foreign Relations explained: “The non-economic losses and damages are the root causes of other losses that may appear more pressing. However, if we are not able to address these non-economic losses and damages, we won’t be able to solve the cascading crisis that emanates from them.”

These challenges are already affecting many of the communities we work with at Franciscans International. For example, rural areas in Central America have been hit with prolonged droughts and extreme weather events. Subsequent food shortages combined with other economic factors continue to fuel displacement. “Non-economic loss and damage may include various dimensions of human mobility – namely, displacement, loss of territory, loss of cultural heritage, or loss of local knowledge,” said Ana Victoria López, who represented the Franciscan Network for Migrants during the Human Rights Council.

Bridging the gap

Despite its relevance and urgency, the concept of non-economic loss and damage is still far from being fully operationalized in policies to mitigate the damage caused by climate change. The Loss and Damage Fund, established in 2022 in line with the Paris Agreement, is supposed to help compensate developing countries for the negative impacts of climate change. However, with financing lacking, the fund currently covers less than one percent of the estimated annual costs. It is still unclear whether the fund will effectively cover NELD.

However, as Rina Kuusipalo, representing the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, stated during the event, “The determination of value is indeed more difficult for those interests that are not subject to market transactions, such as loss of loved ones […] but the fact that these are hard to measure or estimate by money standards does not make them less real and there is no reason why the injured person should not be compensated”.

Central to the discussion of NELD are the dignity of the human person and the protection of the environment. Through this lens, the losses of people are not reduced to economic ones – social and psychological impacts are taken into account, drawing a broader image of what it means to be human.

Next steps

The event also highlighted the importance of faith-based organizations in addressing NELD because of their deep and often longstanding connections with affected communities. The proximity is essential both to comprehend the debt of their losses fully and to understand how the lack of financing and adaptative measures are impacting lives. Elena Cedillo, representing the Geneva Interfaith Forum that includes FI, also stressed that these organizations can provide a sense of belonging and community that is essential during times of crisis.

One way that FI will take up this role is by raising NELD at the upcoming COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan. There, as well as through other UN mechanisms, we will continue to advocate for a human rights-based approach to economic and non-economic loss and damage, emphasizing the importance of capturing all their aspects – including those that are not easily quantifiable but are critical to the well-being, resilience, and dignity of people.

The Human Rights Council convened for its 56th session between 17 June and 12 July 2024. You can find all our statements delivered during this session below as they become available. Our past advocacy interventions are available here.

Item 6: Universal Periodic Review – Mexico (4 July)

Mexico adopted 25 out of the 28 recommendations related to migration and asylum at the conclusion of its Universal Periodic Review. While we that the adoption will improve the current situation and result in the implementation of these recommendations, we remain concerned that the migration policy is based on an approach of militarization and criminalization. In our statement, we urged Mexico to withdrawal military forces from public policing and migration control and review the Migration Law.

• Full statement (Spanish)

Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur the human rights of migrants (26 June)

In recent years, the United Kingdom has passed several pieces of legislation to deter migrants who may have a legitimate claim of asylum. These include the Illegal Migration Act 2023 and the Safety of Rwanda Act 2024, sections of which violate the UK’s human rights obligations according to rulings by UK courts. The latter also appears to be direct attack on the rule of law, as it attempts to directly flout a decision by the Supreme Court. Franciscans International reiterated that the UK should respect international law, uphold the human rights of migrants and asylum seekers, and end its policies, practices, and statements that demonize and re-traumatize them.

• Full statement (English)

Item 3: Interactive Dialogue with the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of internally displaced persons (21 June)

Although lack of access to West Papua has made it difficult to verify the exact number, an estimated 76,919 people are internally displaced due to the ongoing conflict. Franciscans International has received reports about the ransacking of civilian infrastructure by the military and the death of displaced persons (IDPs) in camps due to poor living conditions. Indigenous Papuan women and children are particularly impacted by the lack of basic services. While authorities claim that it is safe for IDPs to return to their homes, the returnees live under constant surveillance and intimidation by the military. In a joint statement, we called on the Indonesian authorities to guarantee the right to a safe return, grant unimpeded access for humanitarian organizations, and allow independent observers to monitor and report on the human rights situation.

• Full statement (English)

Written submissions

Human Rights Situation in Uganda: Need for Greater and Coordinated Efforts to Combat Trafficking in Persons

Despite adopting a national action plan to fight human trafficking, the practice continues to be widespread in Uganda where men and women alike are routinely recruited as foreign laborers by fraudulent agencies. Once abroad, they are at risk of financial and sexual exploitation. Adequate services and financial support for victims are lacking once they return to Uganda, with the government relying on civil society organizations to provide this care. While acknowledging the efforts made to address this problem, we called on the government to increase funding and training to monitor and prosecute fraudulent agencies and to strengthen its legislative framework to include a gender and age perspective.

• Full statement (English)

Human Rights in the Philippines (24 June)

The human rights situation in the Philippines remains highly concerning: the current government persecutes human rights defenders with impunity and failed to provide accountability for past violations, including for the more than 27.000 extra-judicial killings during the so-called ‘war on drugs’. The UN Joint Programme, meant to strengthen investigations into these violations, will end in 2024 without achieving its goals. Looking ahead, we urged an independent assessment of this program to evaluate what progress has been achieved. We also reiterated our call on the Government of the Philippines to comply with its human rights obligation and fully cooperate with the International Criminal Court as it investigates possible crimes against humanity committed during the ‘war on drugs’.

• Full statement (English)

Human Rights Obligations of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on Migration and Asylum Seekers (21 June)

In just the last three years, several pieces of legislation have come into force in an openly declared attempt to deter migrants and asylum seekers from coming to the United Kingdom. Several courts have ruled that elements in these bills violate both international and domestic laws. Highlighting these instances, Franciscans International called on the UK government to turn away from the policies identified by its own courts as being incompatible with international law and norms, and its human rights obligations.

• Full statement (English)

Human Rights Situation in Sri Lanka: The Need to Ensure Accountability for the 2019 Easter Sunday Attacks (21 June)

Since the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks that claimed the lives of more than 260 people, survivors and victims’ families are still searching for the truth. In a joint statement, we called for the proper criminal investigation into the involvement of Nilantha Jayawardena, former State Intelligence Service (SIS) Director and allegations of being directly responsible for serious dereliction of duty that led to the bombings. We also urged for international assistance to uncover all perpetrators behind the attacks, to ensure adequate and speedy compensation to survivors and victims’ families, and to implement the recommendations from the Presidential Commission of Inquiry.

• Full statement (English)

Human Rights Situation of Internally Displaced Persons in West Papua, Indonesia (13 June)

As of April 2024, over 76,900 people have been displaced by ongoing violence in West Papua. Reports indicate that these internally displaced persons (IDPs) face a lack of access to healthcare and education and that many experience harassment by members of the security forces. Those who can return home continue to live under a heavy security presence with limited access to basic services. In a joint statement, Franciscans International called on the Indonesian government to uphold the human rights of IDPs, allow access to humanitarian organizations, and invite the Special Rapporteur on IDPs to conduct a country visit to monitor the situation and make recommendations.

• Full statement (English)

Thumbnail: UN Photo / Jean Marc Ferré