By Bakary Ceesay
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of The Gambia Monday began a nationwide engagement to disseminate its study report on climate change and human rights.
The initiative aims to share the report’s findings and recommendations with rights holders and other stakeholders while encouraging dialogue on measures to address the effects of climate change on human rights.
Speaking at the opening of the engagement, NHRC Commissioner Njundu Drammeh said the exercise was intended to deepen understanding of the relationship between climate change and human rights and explore strategies that communities, civil society organizations and other stakeholders could adopt to mitigate its impacts.
He urged participants to hold duty bearers and other relevant actors accountable for actions that contribute to or worsen the effects of climate change.
Drammeh also expressed appreciation to the Danish Institute for Human Rights for supporting both the research and the nationwide dissemination of the report.
Representing the Governor of the Upper River Region, Pateh Baldeh commended the NHRC for the initiative, stressing the importance of protecting human rights in the context of climate change.
He urged the Commission to ensure that the report reaches relevant stakeholders to enable them to understand and act on its recommendations.
The regional engagement forms part of the NHRC’s efforts to raise awareness of the human rights implications of climate change and promote stakeholder participation in addressing its effects.