The battle for “Article 2”

Main Image
Image
Share

Here on Day 3 of COP 21, Human Rights and worker rights have emerged as one of the key issues in the early negotiations. In the current draft text of "Article 2" there is a provision committing the parties to recognition of human rights and just transition for workers in implementing the COP21 agreement. However, a number of countries including Mexico, Norway, and the US are pushing to have these commitments moved to the non-binding preamble section. That is unacceptable for the labour delegates at COP who are lobbying hard to have Article 2 maintained in its present form.

The good news is that Canadian negotiators have taken a strong stand in favour of maintaining human rights and just transition in the operational section of the agreement‎. We are very pleased that, for the first time in many years, our government is supporting an ambitious agreement on climate while defending worker rights.

We expect that the debate over these issues will swing back and forth over the next two days, and union delegates from around the world are doing everything we ‎can to have our government negotiators support human rights and just transition. 

The French hosts of COP21 have a goal of producing a final draft text by the weekend before ministers arrive for the second week of the climate conference.