For these reasons, the right to development was the subject of marked emphasis during the panel discussions. Panellists agreed that the right to development should inform humanity’s collective response to climate change. Renan Dalisay cautioned that “climate change dilutes the right of vulnerable communities to socio-economic development.” Elizabeth Mpofu, General Coordinator of La Via Campesina, described how many developing countries were forced to divert financial and human resources away from development priorities like health, education and agrarian support to confront climate change and its impacts. Mary Robinson affirmed that all individuals and peoples had a right to development and that climate action should be directed toward fulfilling that right. She emphasized that the international community must work together to address challenges that climate change poses to the realization of human rights, especially the right to development. Mithika Mwenda, Secretary General of the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance, stated that climate change is a problem that requires a broad understanding of human rights and an emphasis on realizing the right to development, in particular, equitable or even equal development between States. He emphasized that in addition to having the obligation to protect human rights within their borders, States and the international community had broader responsibilities to promote the realization of all human rights for all and should act collectively to address climate change, including through the Secretariat of the UNFCCC. The discussions made it clear that States must take urgent action in order to mitigate and adapt to climate change and promote the realization of the right to development for everyone. The right to food “In extreme cases, food insecurity caused by droughts or floods as a result of climate change has literally paralysed some developing States, such that human rights gains have been reversed to deplorable levels.” Elizabeth Mpofu, General Coordinator, La Via Campesina The right to food is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the ICESCR. Article 11 of the ICESCR upholds the “fundamental right of everyone to be free from hunger” and calls upon States acting individually and through international co-operation, “to ensure an equitable distribution of world food supplies in relation to need.” As with all human rights, States must respect, protect, promote, and fulfil the human right to food. Further, States have committed to mobilize maximum available resources for the progressive realization of the right to food and all other rights contained in the ICESCR. According to the IPCC, climate change undermines food security;28 therefore, it threatens realization of the right to food. The World Bank has estimated that a 2°C increase in average global temperature (the proposed target for international climate mitigation efforts) would put “between 100 million and 400 million more people at risk of hunger and could result in over 3 million additional deaths from malnutrition each year.29 Moreover, persons, groups and peoples in vulnerable situations are at a greater risk. For instance, with about two-thirds of the female labour 28 29 IPCC, AR5, p. 13. The World Bank, World Development Report 2010: Development and Climate Change (2010), pp. 4 – 5. Page 16 of 28