Human Rights Watch (HRW) has made a significant call to action by submitting a series of recommendations to Panama’s Ministry of the Environment. This did so in the context of a draft executive decree aimed at regulating responses to climate change, adaptation measures, the biodiversity crisis, and ecosystem degradation. The thrust of HRW’s submission urges a stronger focus on a rights-based approach for communities facing climate-related displacement, advocating for the inclusion of a national protocol on planned relocation.
The experiences of Indigenous communities like Gardi Sugdub and Ukupa in the Guna Yala region were highlighted by HRW as case studies demonstrating challenges such as delays and inadequate support in relocation efforts. HRW stressed the necessity of integrating the perspectives of affected communities from the planning stages, ensuring their autonomy alongside their right to free, prior, and informed consent in making relocation decisions. Notably, HRW acknowledged the incorporation of human rights language in Article 32 of the draft, indicating a positive direction in policy framing within the decree. The recommendations can be explored further in HRW’s submission documentation.
This draft decree, as announced by Panama’s Ministry of Environment, follows a consultative meeting between HRW and government officials in February. The outcome of this meeting was a legal framework that acknowledges the unique challenges faced by indigenous communities amid climate pressures.
This initiative by HRW follows an earlier report from August 2023, where the organization criticized the Panamanian government’s inadequate support for climate change-related relocation efforts in coastal Indigenous areas. Furthermore, a preceding report from April 2024 highlighted insufficient protection for migrants crossing the Darién Gap, implicating both Panama and Colombia.
As Panama’s Ministry of the Environment continues the public consultation process on this draft decree, there is a concerted effort to incorporate feedback from a broad spectrum of stakeholders before finalizing the document. For more details, you can refer to the original full article.