Having is becoming more of a human right globally with this weekB次元官网网址檚 European court decision that says countries must better protect people from climate change, something warming-hit residents of the Global South long knew, said former Ireland President Mary Robinson.

Robinson, who was the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, praised TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 mixed court decision as precedent-setting and change-triggering. The European Court of Human Rights saying their government wasnB次元官网网址檛 doing enough to protect them from climate shocks, but dismissed similar complaints from Portuguese youth and FranceB次元官网网址檚 mayor on technical grounds.

B次元官网网址淢any countries in Europe, if not all, will be vulnerable to litigation along those lines, that their countries are not doing enough to protect the human rights,B次元官网网址� Robinson said in a 30-minute interview with The Associated Press at the Skoll World Forum, a conference of ideas and entrepreneurship. B次元官网网址淚f countries do not protect their people, then they may be undermining the human rights. ThatB次元官网网址檚 completely climate justice.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲e established the European Court of Human Rights to protect us,B次元官网网址� said Robinson, who was the U.N. human rights chief from 1997 to 2002. B次元官网网址淚 think this is an interpretation of a reality, which is that people are suffering from climate shocks. Governments are still not taking seriously enough their responsibilities.B次元官网网址�

The decision brings the concept of a ensuring a safe climate to the richer, developed world, which has often been shielded from the worst climate consequences unlike the poorer south, Robinson, 79, said.

Robinson, now a top official in the group The Elders, which is retired leaders, used herself as an example of how oblivious to the problem the Global North could be. In seven years as president of Ireland, she said she never mentioned climate change. As the U.N. human rights chief she knew climate change was an important issue, but it was one that another agency was handling and not a rights issue.

It was only when Robinson started working for a non-profit she started to help in Africa that she realized that climate change was a rights issue, she said.

B次元官网网址淭he shocks werenB次元官网网址檛 nearly as bad in the richer parts of the world. That was the thing that really struck me,B次元官网网址� when she worked in Africa. B次元官网网址淚 mean, women were saying to me, B次元官网网址業s God punishing us?B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�

Brazilian Indigenous environmental activist Txai Surui said itB次元官网网址檚 about time: B次元官网网址淥ur reality is so far from here, from the global north. People listen about the Amazon, listen about the Indigenous peoples, but they donB次元官网网址檛 really know whatB次元官网网址檚 going on in your land. They donB次元官网网址檛 really know what it means when we say that we are fighting with our lives, with our bodies.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淲e know that this is a human right, because we are feeling it in our skin. We are feeling it in our body,B次元官网网址� Surui said during a break at the Skoll World Forum. And itB次元官网网址檚 frustrating, she said, when people donB次元官网网址檛 notice it even though Surui and others are screaming for people to notice.

B次元官网网址淲hen you people close your eyes to our reality, they condemn us and condemn yourselves,B次元官网网址� because of the importance of solving climate change, Surui said. And Indigenous people feel it hardest around the world, she added.

Robinson also highlighted a basic injustice in climate change: B次元官网网址淚t affects much earlier, much more severely, the poorest countries, poorest communities, small island states, Indigenous peoples. Within that, thereB次元官网网址檚 a huge gender injustice because of the different social roles of women at different access to power, lack of access to power.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淚nequality is sapping the system,B次元官网网址� Robinson said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 eroding a sense of being humans together on this planet when you have this incredible wealth and power that goes with us B次元官网网址� and so many people, feeling left out and and divided.B次元官网网址�

But Robinson has hope because Brazil will host international economic and climate negotiations over the next two years.

B次元官网网址淚 have a lot of faith in Brazil in addressing this, I think there is a real intent to address inequality as well as sustainability and, you know, move forward,B次元官网网址� Robinson said, mentioning the possibility of a global wealth tax. She also said world governments and banks B次元官网网址渁re spending $1.8 trillion a year on what is harming us, mainly fossil fuel subsidizing.B次元官网网址�

Many young climate activists criticize the entire capitalistic system for warmingB次元官网网址檚 harms. Robinson sympathizes with them, pointing to social democracies in Ireland and Nordic nations as a better path.

B次元官网网址淚 think we do need a fairer system,B次元官网网址� Robinson said. B次元官网网址淲hat we have is a kind of rampant form of capitalism, which has been very extractive for a very long time, which has created these gaps of wealth, within countries and between countries. All of that is, you know, contrary to social stability.B次元官网网址�

Add to that what Robinson called a form of B次元官网网址渞acist Christian nationalismB次元官网网址� in the United States and parts of Europe that hurts weaker people and nations. She said itB次元官网网址檚 fine to be proud of your country, but not to belittle, hurt or be scared of others.

When times get tough and your back is against the wall, Robinson said thatB次元官网网址檚 when it is time to embrace hope and B次元官网网址渨ork with what youB次元官网网址檝e got and you try to make the difference.B次元官网网址�

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Fabiano Maisonnave contributed to this report from Oxford.

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Read more of APB次元官网网址檚 climate coverage at

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The Associated PressB次元官网网址� climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find APB次元官网网址檚 for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at .

Seth Borenstein, The Associated Press