Attorney General Ryan Pinder has called on the United Nations (UN) to recognize the effects of the climate crisis on human rights.
He was addressing the 43rd Session of Universal Periodic Review at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland earlier this week.
"Climate change directly impacts the human rights of individuals living in The Bahamas. These rights include life, as well as access to water, sanitation, food, health and housing. The Bahamas emits 0.01 percent of greenhouse gases, but experiences billions of dollars in loss and damage as a result of climate change," Pinder told the council.
"The Bahamas is no stranger to the effects of the climate crisis and can represent first-hand the devastating effects it has on the basic tenants of human rights. As hurricanes and rising water levels further threaten Caribbean islands, it is becoming more urgent to fully fund and support climate initiatives. The vulnerabilities experienced in The Bahamas are exacerbated by limited access to climate finance. We call on the United Nations to recognize the effects of the climate crisis on human rights and to ensure it is a top priority in the preservation of all forms of human rights."
The Davis administration has prioritized sounding the alarm on the effects of climate change on small island developing nations (SIDs).
Last year, Prime Minister Philip Davis said large countries that significantly contribute to climate change should consider forgiving the climate change fueled debt of small island developing states.
It's a position recently endorsed by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) during the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) which was held in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
There, IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva admitted that the world is "falling short" of commitments made to countries like The Bahamas, which are most affected by climate change, and she agreed to work closer with The Bahamas on carbon credits and additional financing.
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