By Andrew Chokpeleh
Freetown, 28th October 2025- The Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone has hosted the country’s first national conference on human rights and climate change, bringing together experts, advocates, and policymakers to explore how environmental degradation threatens basic human rights, and how environmental protection can help safeguard them.
In recent years, Sierra Leone has experienced a series of climate-related disasters that have left many people homeless, and some have tragically lost their lives. These events pose a serious threat to the right to life, one of the most fundamental human rights.
Alphonsus B. M. Gbanie, Executive Director of the Human Rights Defenders Network Sierra Leone, stressed the urgency of protecting the environment for future generations. “Climate change and its consequences cannot be separated from human rights,” he said. “The more we protect our environment, the more we protect the rights to life, food, housing, and many other human rights.” Gbanie emphasized the need to integrate climate justice into all environmental and development efforts.
Mrs. Kadie Peters, Team Lead for Integrated Governance at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), reaffirmed UNDP’s commitment to environmental protection through various projects and partnerships. She highlighted that human rights must remain central to national development strategies. “Climate change endangers human lives, and must be treated with the utmost seriousness,” she said, urging Sierra Leone to prioritize green jobs over activities that worsen environmental degradation.
Environmentalist Professor Alhaji Njai echoed these concerns, noting that while industrialization contributed to climate change, its devastating effects on Sierra Leone cannot be ignored. He called for urgent action to mitigate flooding in vulnerable communities like Culvert, Kroo Bay, and Susan’s Bay, arguing that such efforts directly support the rights to life and housing. “Advocating for climate justice is also advocating for environmental protection,” he said, adding that both are essential to national development.
Delivering the keynote address, Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Mr. Alpha Sesay, Esq., underscored that environmental protection is inseparable from human rights protection. He warned that climate change, through heavy rainfall and extreme weather, continues to undermine the living conditions of many Sierra Leoneans. “If we fail to protect our environment, we will violate the human rights of our citizens,” he said.
Mr. Sesay pointed out that rights to clean water, sanitation, food, housing, and life are all closely linked to climate change. When disasters strike, lives are endangered, homes are destroyed, and communities are left without access to basic services. Citing an international report, he revealed that over one billion children globally are at risk due to climate change. He concluded by calling for collective action, stating that protecting the environment is key to safeguarding the rights of all citizens.
