Petition To The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights Seeking Relief From Violations Resulting from Global Warming Caused By Acts and Omissions of the United States

Sheila Watt-Cloutier, an Inuk woman and Chair of the Inuit Circumpolar Conference filed a petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) seeking relief from human rights violations resulting from the impacts of climate change caused by acts and omissions of the United States. Petitioner requests the Commission to recommend that the United States adopt mandatory measures to limits its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, consider the impacts of GHG emissions on the Arctic in evaluating all major government actions, establish and implement a plan to protect Inuit culture and resources and provide assistance necessary for Inuit to adapt to the impacts of climate change that cannot be avoided. The IACHR declined to process the petition, stating that the petitioners had provided insufficient information for the IACHR to, "at present," determine whether the alleged facts would characterize a violation of rights protected by the American Declaration. Subsequently, the IACHR allowed a special hearing in regard to the petition.