Grounded in the vision of Rights of Future Generations, and its commitment to advancing the protection of the future generations’ fundamental rights in a world that is dramatically worsening in its climatic, socio-economic, gender, racial, and political dimensions, a Working Group chaired by Lumumba Di-Aping launched its work on Tuesday, November 12, 2019.
The day’s focus was on the morality, politics, and science of climate change, the political economy of transformational transition aimed at radical reduction of greenhouse emissions, and the role of states in securing the rights of future generations. Speakers include: H.E. Thabo Mbeki (President of South Africa, 1999–2008); H. E. Dilma Rousseff (President of Brazil, 2011–16); Prof. Hoesung Lee and Prof. Youba Sokona (respectively Chair and Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change); H. E. Amb. María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés (President of the UN General Assembly, 73rd session); Prof. Ha-Joon Chang (Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge). Prof. Patrick Bond (University of Witwatersrand).
The day closed with a solo performance for piano by Maestro Abdullah Ibrahim dedicated to the future generations.
Working throughout the Triennial, the Working Group will develop a charter on the rights of future generations, to be known as the Sharjah Charter. Lumumba Di-Aping was chief negotiator for the G77 countries at the 2009 Copenhagen Summit, former representative of the Republic of South Sudan at the United Nations, and is currently an advisor to H. H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi.
