By Umar Manzoor Shah
BAKU, Nov 22 2024 – As climate-induced disasters continue to wreak havoc worldwide, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), a UN body specializing in emergency response, has issued a clarion call for an ambitious and fair global climate finance goal at COP29. Greg Puley, Head of the Climate Team at OCHA, highlighted the pressing need for enhanced disaster risk reduction and climate resilience measures, particularly in vulnerable and conflict-affected regions.

Speaking to IPS during COP29 at Baku, Puley stressed the dramatic rise in climate-related emergencies, which have escalated the burden on global humanitarian systems. “This year alone, we witnessed devastating floods in the Sahel, extreme heatwaves in Asia and Latin America, and drought in Southern Africa,” Puley said. He also pointed out the earliest recorded Category 5 storm in the Caribbean, stating that climate disasters are becoming increasingly severe and frequent.

OCHA has made an appeal for USD 49 billion in international humanitarian aid this year amid the growing scale of the crisis. However, funding has not kept pace with rising needs. Puley lamented the slow progress in implementing climate finance commitments made at past COP summits, calling for urgent action to translate pledges into tangible benefits on the ground.

“While there have been initiatives like the Secretary General’s Early Warnings for All, which aims to provide global early warning coverage by 2027, these efforts are underfunded,” Puley said. He said that conflict-affected areas receive minimal climate finance, leaving the most vulnerable populations behind. “These are the people least responsible for the climate crisis, yet they bear the brunt of its impacts,” he said.

Priorities for COP29

With COP29 concluding, Puley said without robust financial support for developing countries, achieving urgent reductions in greenhouse gas emissions and meeting the 1.5-degree Celsius target would be impossible. He warned that surpassing this threshold would exacerbate climate-induced disasters, further straining humanitarian systems. “

Also, increased investments in climate adaptation and resilience are crucial, particularly for disaster-prone regions. Puley argued that without these measures, progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) would be derailed as communities repeatedly face setbacks from extreme weather events,” he said.

According to him, there is a need to correct the imbalance in climate finance allocation. He called for targeted investments in areas with high humanitarian needs to build resilience against climate shocks.

While Puley expressed optimism about COP29 delivering on climate finance goals, he acknowledged the challenges ahead. “We have high hopes, but it’s clear that much more needs to be done to ensure that the world’s most vulnerable populations are not left behind,” he said.

IPS UN Bureau Report

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?’http’:’https’;if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+’://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js’;fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, ‘script’, ‘twitter-wjs’);  

By CIVICUS
Nov 22 2024 –  
CIVICUS discusses the dangers arising from military uses of artificial intelligence (AI) with Sophia Goodfriend, Post-Doctoral Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School’s Middle East Initiative.

The global rise of AI has raised concerns about its impact on human rights, particularly for excluded groups, with controversial uses ranging from domestic policing and surveillance to ‘kill lists’ such as those used by Israel to identify targets for missile strikes. Digital rights groups are calling for the development of an AI governance framework that prioritises human rights and bans the most dangerous uses of AI. While recent United Nations (UN) resolutions recognise the human rights risks of AI, more decisive action is needed.

Sophia Goodfriend

Why should we be concerned about AI and its current and potential uses?

AI is being rapidly integrated into military operations around the world, particularly in weapons systems, intelligence gathering and decision-making. Its increasing autonomy reduces human oversight, raising serious concerns and sci-fi fears of machines making life-and-death decisions without meaningful human intervention.

AI-based technologies such as drones, automated weapons and advanced targeting systems are now part of military arsenals. The military’s increasing reliance on these systems raises significant concerns, as they are largely unregulated under international law. The level of surveillance these technologies rely on violates privacy protections under international law and many national civil rights laws.

The rapid development and deployment of these technologies is outpacing regulation, leaving the public largely unaware of their implications. Without proper oversight, AI could be misused in ways that cause widespread harm and evade accountability. We urgently need to regulate the military use of AI and ensure it is consistent with international law and humanitarian principles.

In addition, faulty or biased data can lead to devastating mistakes, raising serious ethical and legal questions. And the decisions made by these systems can undermine the principles of proportionality and distinction in warfare, putting civilian lives at risk.

What’s an example of how AI is currently being used?

The Israeli military is using AI-assisted targeting systems to identify and strike targets in Gaza. These systems analyse huge amounts of data collected through drones, satellites, surveillance cameras, social media and phone hacks to identify potential targets, locate them and decide where and when people should be killed.

AI-generated ‘kill lists’ raise serious concerns. Flawed or biased data has already led to devastating mistakes, with journalists and humanitarian workers killed in strikes. There have also been allegations that the military has expanded its definition of who or what constitutes a valid target, allowing attacks on people or places that may not meet the standards set by international law.

These systems operate at an unprecedented speed and scale, creating a huge number of targets. They have the potential to cause widespread destruction without thorough oversight. Soldiers operating in Gaza have as little as 20 seconds to approve targets that include Hamas militants, but also people who wouldn’t be considered valid military targets under international laws of war and human rights standards.

What does this mean for moral responsibility over the damage caused?

AI-assisted targeting technologies such as the Lavender system are not fully autonomous. They still require human oversight. This is a critical point because these technologies are only as destructive as the people in charge. It all depends on the decisions made by military leaders, and these decisions can either comply with or violate international human rights law.

At the same time, the use of machines to target and destroy can depersonalise violence, making it easier for military personnel to authorise more destruction. By outsourcing decision-making to AI, there’s a risk of abdicating moral responsibility. This technological approach makes military action seem more efficient and rational, which can help justify each bombing with a seemingly logical rationale, but it also dehumanises the civilian casualties and widespread devastation that follow.

Are current AI governance frameworks sufficient to protect human rights?

The short answer is no: current AI governance frameworks fall short in protecting human rights, particularly in military applications. While most states agree that AI-driven weapons – from fully autonomous to AI-assisted ones – should comply with international human rights law, there’s no global framework to ensure this happens.

This has led to calls for more comprehensive and enforceable rules, and there have been some positive steps. For example, civil society groups and researchers successfully pushed for a ban on fully autonomous weapons in the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, which was supported by over 100 states. As a result, the UN Secretary-General has called for a legally binding treaty to be adopted in 2026 to completely ban fully autonomous weapons, which are powered by AI but have no human oversight of their operations.

The European Union (EU) has also taken action, banning some military AI applications such as social scoring systems – which give people ratings based on their social behaviour – as part of its AI Act. However, the EU still lacks specific rules for military AI.

Organisations such as the Future of Life Institute, Human Rights Watch and Stop Killer Robots have been instrumental in pushing for change. But they’re facing growing challenges as Silicon Valley tech CEOs and venture capitalists push for faster AI development with fewer regulations. This is worrying, as these powerful figures will now have more influence over AI policy under a new Trump administration.

What role should AI companies play in ensuring compliance with human rights principles?

Companies have a critical role to play. In recent years, many of the leading companies, such as Amazon, Google, Microsoft and OpenAI, have made public statements about their commitment to human rights. OpenAI, for example, has called for the creation of a watchdog similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency, and its founders have pledged not to allow their technology to be used for military purposes. Amazon, Google and Microsoft also have fair use policies, which they claim ensure their technologies are used in accordance with human rights principles.

But in practice, these policies often fall short, particularly when it comes to military applications. Despite their claims, many of these companies have sold their technologies to military forces, and the extent of their involvement in military AI development is often unclear. Just a few weeks ago, The Intercept reported that the US military’s Africa Command had purchased OpenAI software through Microsoft. We also know the Israeli military used Google cloud services to target bombs in Gaza and Amazon web services to store classified surveillance data on civilians in the Palestinian territories.

This has sparked protests within the companies involved, with workers staging walkouts and demanding greater transparency and accountability. While these protests are important, AI companies can ultimately only do so much to ensure their technologies are used ethically. We need stronger, more comprehensive international laws on the military use of AI, and governments must take responsibility for ensuring these laws are enforced at the national level.

At the same time, many tech CEOs, such as Elon Musk, have moved away from their previous commitment to human rights and are more aligned with right-wing political leaders like Trump. Some CEOs, such as Peter Thiel of PayPal and Alex Karp of Palantir Technologies, argue that private companies need to work closely with the military to maintain US technological superiority. This has created tensions between human rights advocates and tech giants, highlighting the need for stronger regulatory frameworks to hold these companies accountable and prevent AI being used in ways that undermine human rights.

GET IN TOUCH
Website
LinkedIn
Twitter

SEE ALSO
Human rights take a backseat in AI regulation CIVICUS Lens 16.Jan.2024
AI: ‘The biggest challenges are the biases and lack of transparency of algorithms’ Interview with Humanitarian OpenStreetMap Team 24.Aug.2023
AI regulation: ‘There must be a balance between promoting innovation and protecting rights’ Interview with Nadia Benaissa 25.Jul.2023

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?’http’:’https’;if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+’://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js’;fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, ‘script’, ‘twitter-wjs’);  

The mental health impacts of climate change are not widely discussed, but increasing evidence shows how climate change is affecting mental health and raising the risk of new mental health challenges. Experts say that existing systems are not equipped to cope with the current and additional challenges related to health and mental health caused by […]

By Umar Manzoor Shah
BAKU, Nov 22 2024 – Syeda Rizwana Hasan, an adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh and as Minister of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change, urged the global and regional leaders to prioritize ambitious, evidence-based climate targets in the climate negotiations.

Hasan, in an exclusive interview with IPS at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, speaks in detail about Bangladesh’s efforts to address plastic pollution, empower women in climate action, and foster regional cooperation in South Asia while calling out global gaps in climate ambition.

COP29: Ambition and Disparities

On COP29’s progress, Hasan criticized the widening gap between scientific evidence and global climate action.

“Least developed and vulnerable countries base their demands on science. Yet, major polluters deny this evidence, sticking to exploitative fossil-fuel-based models,” she said.

Hasan also pointed out inconsistencies in proposed solutions. “The draft text on New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) funding talks about ‘innovative solutions,’ but why focus on unproven methods like market-based carbon trading when established solutions exist?”

While acknowledging the importance of participating in COP negotiations, Hasan expressed concern that global ambition is regressing.

“The last three years have seen us moving away from desired results. Countries must act on science-based targets to prevent catastrophic outcomes.”

“Maybe five years down the road, what we are saying will be said by the developed countries. Because of what Spain has faced today, if more and more European countries and American states start facing those sorts of calamities, then the stance of the developed countries may change,” she added.

Regional Cooperation in South Asia

Addressing the shared climate challenges in South Asia, Hasan stressed the need for collaboration in disaster management, water sharing, and renewable energy.

“South Asia has vast potential for regional cooperation, but political mistrust hinders progress. We need to move away from a ‘big brother-little brother’ dynamic and establish partnerships based on equality and trust,” Hasan said.

She proposed creating a regional energy grid leveraging Nepal and Bhutan’s hydroelectric potential, reducing reliance on coal and gas. Other areas of collaboration include agriculture, forestry, and transboundary early warning systems.

However, Hasan acknowledged the roadblocks.

“There are good models in South Asia that are being taught even in universities like Oxford. But we South Asian countries are reluctant to take lessons from these good practices. The thing is, you need to first build trust among the South Asian countries. We don’t need a big brother or a big sister in the region. We need friends. When you have a big brother and a small brother, they always fight.”

The Minister added: “A big fish would always like to eat up a small fish. But here we have to prove that we are on equal footing and that we are friends and not brothers and sisters. Once we set that political context and we do that trust-building process among the South Asian countries, I think there is huge potential in both adaptation, mitigation, loss, and damage. We can do early warning for disaster management and minimize the impacts of disasters. We can cooperate in the sector of agriculture.”

Hasan urged the global and regional leaders to prioritize ambitious, evidence-based climate targets. She stressed that countries like Bangladesh, which bear the brunt of climate impacts despite minimal contributions to emissions, need urgent support.

“Bangladesh remains committed to leading by example, from phasing out plastics to empowering women and fostering regional partnerships. But global action must match the scale of the crisis,” Hasan said.

Tackling Plastic Pollution: Reviving The 2002 Ban

Bangladesh made history in 2002 by becoming the first country to impose a ban on the manufacturing, selling, and use of polythene and plastic shopping bags. Yet Hasan acknowledges that enforcing the ban has been inconsistent over the past two decades.

“Between 2004 and 2006, we successfully removed polythene bags from markets,” Hasan explained. “However, enforcement efforts waned after a government change. Over the years, usage has resurged, making it an even bigger challenge today.”

The government is now reinitiating enforcement, starting with regulating plastic bag use in supermalls in Dhaka before expanding to other urban centers and eventually rural areas. Environmental groups are also campaigning in remote parts of the country to support the initiative.

Hasan said that efforts are being made to target polythene shopping bags first, with a broader plan to phase out all single-use plastics. “We aim to develop an action plan to transition from single-use plastics, except for items like ballpoint pens, where alternatives are not yet readily available. This will be implemented over two to three years.”

While concerns about the livelihood impact of such bans arise, Hasan dispelled misconceptions. “Producers of polythene shopping bags also manufacture other plastic products. They can pivot to legal alternatives, and we’re introducing sustainable options like jute and cotton bags in the market,” she said.

Women’s Role in Climate Mitigation

Hasan highlighted the significant yet underappreciated role of Bangladeshi women in climate resilience and sustainable development. She recounted how women-led seed banks became crucial during recent floods, supplying communities and the government with much-needed resources.

“Women in Bangladesh have preserved seed banks for decades. Scaling up this model can create decentralised, community-driven solutions,” Hasan said.

In terms of lifestyle changes and sustainable agriculture, women play a pivotal role. “Mothers transmit values to children, shaping habits like water conservation and reducing waste. Women farmers also prioritize safe, pesticide-free food for their families, making them key drivers of eco-friendly practices,” she said.

Hasan said that the government aims to integrate indigenous women’s knowledge into its policies on nature protection and food security.

Using Public Interest Litigations (PILs) for Climate and Women’s Rights

As a pioneer in using public interest litigations for environmental justice, Hasan discussed the potential of PILs in addressing women’s climate vulnerabilities.

“PILs come into play after setting the right policy and legal framework. For example, water and food security laws must reflect women’s unique needs. If these are ignored, PILs can hold the system accountable,” Hasan said.

She said there is a need for gender-sensitive climate policies to ensure women are protected and empowered in the face of escalating climate impacts.

“You have to first set the policies and the laws in the right direction. And if the policies and the laws are not respected, then you take the PILs.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?’http’:’https’;if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+’://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js’;fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, ‘script’, ‘twitter-wjs’);  

By Maithreyi Kamalanathan
PARIS, Nov 22 2024 – Climate change exacerbates existing gender inequalities and gender-based violence. At COP29 in Azerbaijan, governments have been urged to prioritize gender-responsive climate policies that address the specific needs of women and girls, and serious concerns have been raised about backtracking on women’s rights during these crucial negotiations on climate action.

In Azerbaijan, extreme weather events made worse by global warming and poor environmental management are heightening the risks women and girls face. As the frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters increase, more families are being left vulnerable, accelerating the need for targeted interventions.

Clean World Social Union participated in COP29 to address the critical intersection of gender inequality and the climate crisis, advocating for policies that prioritize the needs and rights of women and girls in the face of environmental challenges.

Clean World Social Union is one of only two civil society organizations in Azerbaijan providing specialist accommodation and support to women escaping gender-based violence. They operate a shelter in the capital city, Baku, housing up to 60 women and children. A second shelter in Ganja, managed by the Public Union “Tamas,” accommodates 25 residents.

Clean World Social Union collaborates with the international women’s rights organization Equality Now to strengthen the legal rights of women and girls in Azerbaijan.

Leyla Suleymanova

Coordinator Leyla Suleymanova spoke to Equality Now about how climate-induced displacement is impacting women in the country and why the government urgently needs to do more in response.

What are some of the ways that climate change is affecting women and girls in Azerbaijan?

Climate change is definitely making women more vulnerable to gender-based violence. We’ve worked with many women from rural areas whose families have lost their homes and livelihoods due to floods, drought, and other environmental crises. People become homeless, their lives have been devastated. Before, they had opportunities to earn money to improve their lives, but now they don’t.

This is forcing people to migrate and is pushing them into urban areas. Gender-based violence increases because when people become poorer, it puts pressure on families who cannot earn a living, and men can become more violent. Every day, we receive hundreds of calls from women, but due to the limited capacity of our shelters, we have to refuse many.

After extreme climate events, many women migrate alone to urban centers like Baku to support their families. However, some do not have the necessary skills or knowledge to find employment and earn money. Displacement caused by ecological crisis isolates women from their social networks and support systems, and makes them more vulnerable to abuse. As well as domestic violence, we have seen increases in commercial sexual exploitation and trafficking.

How is Azerbaijan’s government responding to the impact that climate change is having on women in the country?

In Azerbaijan, there is some understanding about how climate change impacts women and girls, but not enough. And while the government is doing some things about climate change, it’s not making the connection between ecological crisis, gender issues, and gender-based violence.

Changes in legislation and punishment for child marriage are getting tougher, but I think the ecological crisis is making the situation worse. With people becoming poorer and life getting harder, this connects to child marriage. Some families think if they have a girl who they cannot afford to provide food and education for, she should be married off quickly.

In cases of gender-based violence after extreme weather events, women often don’t have financial support, don’t know who to turn to, and may have psychological issues. It is sometimes very difficult to support these victims as they need free and regular assistance, but there are many we cannot help because of limited resources. And when there are floods, there is a big increase in the number of women needing help but we cannot provide so much support.

I have not heard of any official strategies or action plans to improve the situation for women when an ecological crisis happens. Government strategies should include implementation and coordination to address women’s issues. Without this, it is difficult to deal with these problems.

What action on climate change to support women is needed from governments?

Women and girls are being directly and disproportionately affected by the ecological crisis and we have to raise this with governments and other key stakeholders. There is a critical opportunity to address the unique challenges by developing and implementing comprehensive frameworks and gender-responsive strategies that tackle both the immediate and longer-term impacts.

Vocational training programs can help women adapt to climate change by equipping them with skills for sustainable livelihoods. This is particularly crucial for women in rural areas who may need to migrate to urban centers, where employment opportunities are more accessible. Providing these tools empowers women to rebuild their lives and communities while fostering resilience against climate-related challenges.

It is equally important to increase women’s participation in decision-making processes related to climate policies. By including women’s perspectives and experiences, governments can create more equitable and effective solutions. Gender equality must be central to these discussions, ensuring women’s voices shape policies addressing ecological and societal impacts.

Strengthening support systems is another vital step. Expanding access to psychological counseling, legal aid, and safe shelters for women and girls will address the immediate fallout of climate shocks. Additionally, building local capacity to meet the needs of women affected by these events will ensure long-term sustainability.

Public awareness campaigns are necessary to educate communities about the gendered impacts of climate change, and women should be given information about who they can turn to for support when their rights have been violated. Initiatives can shift societal attitudes, promoting a greater understanding of women’s vulnerabilities and the need for protective measures.

The COP29 summit in Azerbaijan underscored the urgency of integrating gender issues into climate action. Coordination among government agencies, civil society organizations, and international partners is essential to ensure these efforts are effective, inclusive, and provide women and girls with protection in the face of an evolving climate crisis.

Maithreyi Kamalanathan, Equality Now

IPS UN Bureau

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?’http’:’https’;if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+’://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js’;fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, ‘script’, ‘twitter-wjs’);