10 III. CHRP Jurisdiction and Admissibility of the Petition Through the combination and interplay of the five Constitutional powers of this Commission, it exercises jurisdiction over cases. Jurisdiction should not be understood only in the context of the power to render a binding decision but also in the context of having the authority to perform other non-judicial constitutional mandates. On the issue of subject-matter jurisdiction, this Commission notes the acceptance under customary international law of the interrelatedness, interdependence, and indivisibility of human rights and, therefore, accepts the view that it may investigate the whole gamut of human rights allegedly impacted in the petition. The United Nations General Assembly recognizes that “‘the enjoyment of civic and political freedoms and of economic, social and cultural rights are interconnected and interdependent’ and that ‘when deprived of economic, social and cultural rights, man does not represent the human person whom the Universal Declaration regards as the ideal of the free man.’”18 Thus, the violation of one right inevitably impacts other rights which may or may not be in the same category. In order to provide effective remedy to victims and restore their dignity, all of the rights violated must be equally addressed. A complete consideration of all the dimensions of human rights issues is required for this Commission to effectively exercise its recommendatory, monitoring, advocacy, and other powers. In any case, if there still be doubt of the Commission’s wisdom in accepting the Petition, we note the allegation that climate change adversely impacts the right to life, classified as a civil and political right under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR),19 to which the Philippines is a party. The United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC), in General Comment No. 36 on the right to life, declares: 18 United Nations General Assembly, Preparation of Two Draft International Covenant on Human Rights, G.A. Res. 543 (VI), U.N. Doc. No. A/RES/543 (VI) (Feb. 5, 1952). 19 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights art. 6, 1996, 999 U.N.T.S. 171 [hereinafter ICCPR].

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