The European Union, in an explanation of position delivered on 6 July 2026 at the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, called for a shorter, more focused resolution on human rights and climate change and warned against reinterpreting or reopening language already agreed in other fora. Speaking on behalf of EU member states, the EU delegation welcomed efforts by the core group to revise the draft text through seven rounds of informal consultations but expressed regret that the majority of its substantive comments remained unaddressed.
The EU criticised the draft for missing the opportunity to incorporate language on the transition away from fossil fuels already agreed within the first Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement and subsequently reconfirmed in UN General Assembly resolution 80/263 of May 2026, which the EU described as the most recent multilateral expression of the international community's position on this issue. The EU also took issue with the draft's portrayal of the Paris Agreement as subordinate to the UNFCCC, arguing that this is inconsistent with the established legal status of both instruments and does not reflect the approach taken by the International Court of Justice in its Advisory Opinion on climate change.
On the concept of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities (CBDR-RC), the EU stressed that this belongs solely to the climate change regime and cannot be conflated with human rights obligations. The EU welcomed the ICJ's authoritative interpretation that the status of developing and developed countries is dynamic, and stated that all references to CBDR-RC in the resolution should be read in the legally most progressive way, namely 'in the light of national circumstances'.
The EU also noted that the draft places considerable emphasis on climate finance, despite its thematic focus on climate adaptation. While acknowledging climate finance as essential, the EU argued that several provisions risk overlapping with mandates of other fora and undermining delicate balances reached in those negotiations. The EU reiterated that technology transfer must remain voluntary and on mutually agreed terms.
For the next iteration of the resolution, the EU strongly urged the core group to redirect the focus to its human rights dimension and refrain from reopening agreed language. The EU reaffirmed its commitment as the world's largest contributor of climate finance to supporting developing countries and vulnerable communities in both mitigation and adaptation efforts.