South Centre Statement at the Expert Conversation on Human Rights in the Life Cycle of Renewable Energy and Critical Minerals
21 May 2025
This expert conversation organized by the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change in collaboration with the Geneva Environment Network will build on a call for inputs which was issued in December 2024 in order to inform the thematic report of the UN Special Rapporteur to the United Nations General Assembly 80th session. This conversation will gather all interested experts including from Member States, UN agencies, civil society organizations, Indigenous Peoples, peasants, academia and the private sector to participate in this conversation.
Scaling Up the Health Response to Climate Change: Highlights from the World Health Organization Executive Board’s 156th Meeting on the Global Action Plan on Climate Change and Health
By Bianca Carvalho
The Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO), during its 156th meeting held from 3-11 February 2025, discussed a draft Global Action Plan on Climate Change and Health (2025 – 2028) (EB156/40). This policy brief explains the content of the draft Global Action Plan and summarises the feedback provided by Member States during the Executive Board meeting.
Member States at the 156th WHO Executive Board meeting made recommendations for the Global Action Plan, including to ensure that equity remains central, to foster collaboration across sectors, and to enhance support mechanisms—both technical and financial—for developing countries addressing the intersection of climate change and health challenges. Member States also called for more consultations before the draft Global Action Plan is considered for adoption at the 78th World Health Assembly in May 2025.
Statement of President Mbeki under the Council Agenda Item 5
8 May 2025
Pres. Thabo Mbeki, Chair of the South Centre Board, thanked the Centre for continuing to work for the adoption of frameworks, rules & policies that promote the common interest of the Global South. He also called on Member States to address structural asymmetries & support efforts to achieve SDGs, as well as to ensure the Centre’s sustainability. In commemoration of the South Centre’s 30th anniversary this year, he also expressed that the Centre is proud to have preserved the values and have worked hard to make a reality the visions and aspirations of the founders of the Centre, led by Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, one of the great leaders of the Global South.
Inputs to Inform the Thematic Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in the Context of Climate Change to the Human Rights Council 59th session
South Centre
February 2025
The South Centre calls for a Just Transition away from fossil fuels, centering the rights of marginalized communities & the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
Inputs to the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development Study on Climate Justice, Sustainability, and the Right to Development
February 2025
The South Centre inputs to the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development Study on Climate Justice, Sustainability, and the Right to Development makes a call for upholding Common but Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDRRC) in ensuring a just transition, protecting the human rights of the most affected populations and reforming Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS) mechanisms that threaten climate action.
Science in crisis times: The crucial role of science in sustainability and transformation
PLOS Sustainability and Transformation Journal
Authors: Paul Shrivastava, Louise Jackson, Thaura Ghneim-Herrera, Patrick Caron, Carlos Correa, Carlos Alvarez Pereira, Timothy Coombs, Oluchi Ezekannagha, Nick Ishmael-Perkins, Melissa Leach, Sélim Louafi, Gary E. Machlis, Julia Marton-Lefèvre, Alexander Müller, Janos Pasztor, Vivi Stavrou, Camilla Toulmin, and Sonja Vermeulen
In an era marked by the convergence of complex crises, the role of science in sustainability and transformative changes has never been more critical. A recent article in PLOS Sustainability and Transformation Journal, titled “Science in Crisis Times: The Crucial Role of Science in Sustainability and Transformation,” delves into this pressing issue. Authored by a distinguished group of experts, including former MAK’IT Scientific Officer Thaura Ghneim-Herrera and South Centre Executive Director Carlos M. Correa, the article draws from the insights of the 2022 MAK’IT conference “What Role for Science in Crisis Times? Outlook in the Health, Environment, and Agriculture Interconnected Areas”, held in University of Montpellier with the support of the South Centre, which brought together 18 international experts.
Reviewing the Implementation of Select Sustainable Development Goals – A Southern Perspective
By Yuefen Li, Viviana Muñoz Tellez, Vahini Naidu, Danish, Vitor Ido, Peter Lunenborg, Nirmalya Syam, Daniel Uribe
In line with the focus of the work of the South Centre, this paper specifically looks at the following Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Goal 1 – No poverty; Goal 2 – Zero Hunger; Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-being; Goal 9 – Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure; Goal 13 – Climate Action; Goal 14 – Life Below Water; Goal 15 – Life on Land; and Goal 17 – Partnerships for the Goals. Particular attention has also been paid to the concerns of least developed countries (LDCs) in relation to the SDGs.
The paper thus seeks to provide a review of the trajectory of the implementation of the aforementioned SDGs in the years since 2015 from the perspective of the Global South. It then spells out the drivers for the progress made and the challenges and the changing narratives in the world today. It also provides some concrete recommendations which can support developing and least developed countries in their sustainable development pathways.
UNCTAD at 60: Reflections on six decades of promoting economic development for the Global South
By Yuefen Li and Danish
The United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) celebrated its 60th anniversary in June 2024 in Geneva, holding a high-level Global Leaders Forum that brought together ministers, officials and experts to discuss the multidimensional challenges facing countries, and strategies for advancing the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It highlighted the need for innovative solutions to address current global crises that can promote resilience, economic growth and sustainable development.
Painting the Grass Green: A Climate Change Carve-Out in Investment Agreements
By Daniel Uribe
During the Twenty-Eighth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP-28) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), States recognised the critical need to accelerate efforts to mitigate climate change and called on Parties to take action to transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems, to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. However, implementing such a transition finds obstacles in investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) mechanisms, which can undermine regulatory actions necessary for climate policies, leading to a ‘regulatory chill’. As a response to these challenges, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Future of Investment Treaties program has proposed a model carve-out provision to exclude fossil fuel sectors from ISDS protection with procedural safeguards, but its effectiveness may be limited. A holistic reform of investment agreements and additional measures, such as withdrawal from international investment agreements, are necessary to safeguard regulatory space and promote sustainable investment and a just transition.
Understanding the Interconnected Threats to Global Sustainability: A Focus on Deforestation, Traditional Knowledge, and Biopiracy
By Marissa Costa De Castro
This paper examines the interconnected threats of climate change, deforestation, misappropriation of traditional knowledge (TK), and the detrimental phenomenon of biopiracy. It discusses the profound impacts of deforestation on climate change, with an illustrative case study centered on Brazil’s Matopiba region. Additionally, it investigates the intricate relationship between TK, land grabbing, and biopiracy within indigenous and local communities.
