03-07-2025
Latin America's top human rights court says states have duty to act on climate crisis
BOGOTA, Colombia — The Inter-American Court of Human Rights on Thursday issued a landmark advisory opinion linking governments' human rights obligations to their responsibility to address the threat of climate change — a move expected to shape policy and litigation across Latin America and the Caribbean .
The opinion is the first of its kind from the region's top human rights tribunal and responds to a 2023 request from Colombia and Chile. It says states have a duty under international law to prevent, mitigate and remedy environmental harm that threatens human rights, including through laws, policies and actions aimed at curbing climate change.
