The UN Committee Teitiota v New Zeland's decision and the human rights' protection in the context of natural events: from the theory of positive obligations to the prohibition of refoulement

Abstract

In its Teitiota v. New Zeland’s landmark decision, The UN Human Rights Committee set out two fundamental principles of international law. It recognizes that the effects of climate change and natural disasters may give rise to violations of the right to life and the prohibition of inhuman or degrading treatment, and thus trigger the non-refoulment obligations of sending states. The purpose of this paper is to consider how The UN Human Rights Committee Teitiota’s decision may facilitate the protection of environmentally displaced persons under the 1984 Cartagena declaration.

Keywords

• cambiamento climatico. obblighi positivi di tutela. migrazione forzata. divieto di refoulement. dichiarazione di cartagena.