repeatedly emphasized by Human Rights Council resolutions on the subject of human rights and climate change including resolution 10/4 which states that the impacts of climate change “will be felt most acutely by those segments of the population who are already in a vulnerable situation.” John Knox and other panellists in the March 2015 discussions also highlighted that climate change posed the greatest threat to the rights of people in vulnerable situations. Elizabeth Mpofu emphasized that in addition to its direct impacts on the enjoyment of human rights, climate change also brought about indirect impacts by diverting resources from crucial public services such as health, education and agrarian support to climate change response and mitigation efforts at the expense of persons who rely upon public services to meet their needs. Discussing food security, Ana Maria Suarez Franco noted that climate change disproportionately affects peasants, indigenous peoples, pastoralists, small farmers and fishermen, who, paradoxically, have contributed to it the least. Minister Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali called for States to take a human rights perspective and focus on the impacts of climate change on the poorest communitiesand countries. Mithika Mwenda compared the plight of humanity in the face of climate change to that of passengers struggling for survival during the sinking of the Titanic: the weak might suffer and die first but, in the end, everyone would sink. Given this reality, he called for a paradigm shift to address climate change and transition to low-carbon economies in an equitable, fair and ecologically sound manner that permitted continued growth in developing countries. Renan Dalisay also emphasized that climate change takes lives and had a disproportionate impact on the poorest and most marginalized. During the interactive discussion that followed the panel presentations, delegations called for mitigation and adaptation efforts to place people at the centre, be gender sensitive and ensure the rights of persons, groups and people in vulnerable situations, including women, children, indigenous peoples and the poor. To better understand how climate change impacts the rights of particular groups, it is useful to consider the particular nature of the threat posed to the rights of indigenous peoples, one that was emphasized throughout the panel discussion. The UNDRIP and International Labour Organization Convention 169 articulate specific rights of indigenous peoples. UNDRIP affirms that “indigenous peoples are equal to all other peoples, while recognizing the right of all peoples to be different, to consider themselves different, and to be respected as such.” It calls for States to “provide effective mechanisms for prevention of, and redress for” actions which would undermine indigenous peoples’ rights including their rights to culture, land and resources, and selfdetermination. “Indigenous people[s] are among the most culturally endangered communities.” Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples During the panel discussion, many speakers warned of the impact of climate change on indigenous peoples’ rights. Victoria Tauli-Corpuz stressed that, “indigenous peoples, like many developing countries, are among those who have least contributed to the problem of climate change, but are the ones suffering from the worst impacts.” She went on to state that indigenous peoples often lived in and relied on fragile ecosystems, damage to which threatened their homes, Page 23 of 28