IACHR: States must guarantee climate justice for People of African Descent

August 29, 2025

Washington, DC—On the occasion of the International Day for People of African Descent, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and its Special Rapporteurship on Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Rights (REDESCA) call on States to incorporate a human rights and equity approach to the disproportionate and differentiated impacts of the climate emergency, with participatory public policies and a perspective that specifically addresses the impact on People of African Descent.

Climate change constitutes an emergency de human rights , with impacts on the lives, health, food, housing, work, and access to drinking water of people throughout the hemisphere. The intensification of extreme events—such as prolonged droughts, floods, hurricanes, fires, and sea level rise—destabilizes ecosystems and has profound impacts on millions of people, especially those already facing poverty and social exclusion .

People of African Descent face a climate emergency exacerbated by structural and environmental racism, which has historically denied them access to land, water, and public participation, and exposed their territories to landfills and polluting industries. They are among the most vulnerable to the devastating effects of climate change, and even more so women, older people, and Afro-descendants with disabilities, despite being the least contributors to the greenhouse effect, as indicated in the report Poverty, Climate Change, and Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.

In its recent report on the floods in Rio Grande do Sul, REDESCA documented how Afro-descendant and Quilombola communities were disproportionately affected by the disaster, facing losses exacerbated by their historical lack of access to secure land, basic services, and land regularization processes. These findings highlight the risks and vulnerabilities of Afro-descendant communities in disaster contexts and reaffirm the urgency of climate policies with a racial and intersectional justice approach.

In line with the recent Advisory Opinion 32-25 of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, the American Convention on Human Rights and the Protocol of San Salvador oblige States to adopt urgent and effective measures in response to the climate emergency, guaranteeing the enhanced protection of rights such as life, personal integrity, health, food, housing, water, a healthy environment, and cultural identity. To address climate change, States must collect comprehensive and disaggregated data on the risks to people and ecosystems, identifying and taking differentiated measures to protect population groups that are particularly vulnerable to these risks.

The disproportionate impact of the climate crisis on Afro-descendant communities reflects racial inequality that threatens their identity, culture, and survival, exacerbated by the degradation of ancestral territories and exclusion from public decision-making. Climate justice requires environmental policies with an anti-discriminatory approach that recognize their role in preserving ecosystems and ensuring a sustainable future, considering that, according to the FAO, together with indigenous peoples, Afro-descendant communities are the ones who can contribute most to climate mitigation thanks to their ancestral knowledge and collective practices.

The IACHR and REDESCA urge States to act urgently, ensuring climate and environmental policies based on human rights and the principles of climate justice and racial equality. This requires reducing emissions and ensuring a just energy transition; protecting ancestral Afro-descendant territories with the effective participation of Afro-descendant peoples and their free, prior, and informed consent; eliminating barriers to access to information and guaranteeing comprehensive reparations for violations. It also requires expanding equitable climate financing for adaptation and resilience.

The Special Rapporteurship on Economic, Social, Cultural, and Environmental Rights is an office created by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) with the aim of strengthening the promotion and protection of economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights in the Americas, leading the Commission's efforts in this area.

The IACHR is a principal and autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS), whose mandate derives from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has a mandate to promote the observance of human rights in the region and to act as a consultative body to the OAS in this area. The IACHR is composed of seven independent members who are elected by the OAS General Assembly in their personal capacity and do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 177/25

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