32 Global Recommendations on Nationality and Statelessness in the Context of Climate Change PART A Global Recommendations on Nationality and Statelessness in the Context of Climate Change 5. GUIDING PRINCIPLES PART A Right to life with dignity 5.6 Cooperation among States and ‘other members of the international community’40 is critical not only to addressing the adverse impacts of climate change, but to protecting persons and communities affected by these impacts. This includes safeguarding every person’s right to a nationality by, inter alia, improving understanding and analysis of loss of nationality and statelessness in the context of climate change, offering international protection to affected persons, and ensuring compliance of laws and policies with international standards to prevent and reduce statelessness and to protect stateless persons, including through the exchange of good practices. The duty to cooperate is particularly relevant in the context of cross-border movement of people as a consequence or in anticipation of the adverse impacts of climate-related hazards. 5.4 The right to life with dignity requires that individuals are not arbitrarily or unlawfully deprived of life and are able to live in a manner that respects their inherent worth and value.30 The right to life with dignity requires having access to basic necessities such as food, water, shelter, and healthcare.31 It also includes being free from discrimination, torture, and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.32 Because of the severe impact of statelessness on basic rights closely associated with both the right to a nationality and the right to life with dignity, the Global Recommendations are driven by the imperative of avoiding loss of nationality which leads to statelessness, and ensuring respect for the rights of those who are already stateless, which includes the provision of realistic and timely pathways to nationality. Duty of international cooperation 5.5 The international duty to cooperate obliges States to work together to achieve common goals and solve shared problems, including to promote and encourage respect for and observance of human rights, to address matters of international environmental concern33, and to coordinate efforts to help States affected by disasters.34 Articles 1, 55, and 56 of the Charter of the United Nations establish the duty of States to cooperate in addressing economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian issues and in promoting human rights.35 The principle is also embedded in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,36 multiple international human rights treaties37, and regional instruments designed to protect the right to a nationality and address statelessness.38 As the ICJ noted in its Advisory Opinion, cooperation in addressing sea-level rise and its adverse effects is ‘not a matter of choice for States but a legal obligation.’39 5. GUIDING PRINCIPLES Right to participate 5.7 The right of individuals to participate in public affairs,41 and to actively engage in promoting and protecting human rights and participate in international law-making,42 is particularly relevant to those who are stateless or experiencing displacement because ‘[r]esponses are most effective when they actively and meaningfully engage those they are intended to protect and assist.’43 5.8 In the context of climate change, persons who are stateless, persons without a recognized nationality status, and persons at risk of statelessness should have the right to participate meaningfully in decisions that affect them directly or indirectly. This right should extend to climate-related decision-making processes, including climate adaptation planning, disaster preparedness and response strategies. For these affected individuals and communities, the right to participate meaningfully includes considering the expertise, experience, and information they contribute through their participation; ensuring that they have access to information in appropriate languages, format and technologies that facilitate their right to participate; and ensuring that their participation is adequately supported and resourced.44 33