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International human rights and climate change (policies): Challenging the concept of vulnerability.

Authors :
Mayrhofer, Monika
Source :
Environmental Science & Policy; Oct2024, Vol. 160, pN.PAG-N.PAG, 1p
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

For more than a decade, UN human rights institutions have increasingly highlighted the impact of climate change on the enjoyment of human rights and attempted to influence (inter)national policy-making, including policy-making on adaptation. Feminist and post-/decolonial approaches have long criticised the fact that human rights discourses employ problematic narrative strategies that lead to gendered and racist distortions, biases, and in- and exclusions. Against this background, the article will explore whether such problematic narratives are perpetuated in human rights discourses analysing and proposing policies to address climate change. Using a frame-analytical approach, the article will in particular focus on the concept of vulnerability which is a central, yet disputed concept in the human rights context. The article, firstly, highlights some of the most important critical insights of feminist and post-/decolonial approaches concerning human rights by carving out three problematic narrative strategies that are discernible in this context. In a next step, it is elaborated how human rights documents on climate change rely on the concept of vulnerability and what are the implications of the frame, id est the narrative and the metaphor, of vulnerability in the human rights context. It is further analysed how the vulnerability frame supports problematic narrative strategies which were carved out in the beginning of the article. The article ends with a summary and a discussion of the most important insights. • Problematic human rights narratives and concepts are perpetuated in UN human rights documents focusing on climate change. • The frame of vulnerability is an important element of human rights narratives in UN climate change policies. • UN human rights policies on climate change are involved in stereotypic categorisation of identity groups. • Narrative practices of othering and naturalising of differences are widely used in human rights climate change policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
14629011
Volume :
160
Database :
Supplemental Index
Journal :
Environmental Science & Policy
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
179321980
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103847