Speaking at the 2026 Forum on Global Human Rights Governance in Beijing, China, VP Jallow said environmental sustainability and human rights are inseparable, stressing that countries most affected by climate change are often those that have contributed the least to global emissions.
The two-day forum, which opened on Thursday, brought together more than 200 government officials, human rights experts, academics and representatives of international organizations to discuss ways of advancing human rights through development. The event also commemorated the 40th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration on the Right to Development.
Addressing delegates on the theme “Green Development and the Protection of Human Rights,” the Gambian Vice President highlighted the severe climate challenges confronting The Gambia and other developing nations.
He noted that coastal communities in The Gambia are increasingly threatened by sea-level rise and coastal erosion, while farmers are grappling with unpredictable rainfall patterns, declining agricultural productivity and growing environmental pressures.
“The climate crisis is no longer a distant threat,” VP Jallow told participants. “There can be no sustainable development without environmental protection, and there can be no meaningful protection of human rights without sustainable development.”
He argued that green development extends beyond environmental concerns, describing it as a critical human rights issue that directly affects people’s rights to health, food, housing, security and a dignified life.
The Vice President further urged the international community to strengthen cooperation in tackling climate change and its impacts, calling on wealthier nations to fulfill their commitments on climate finance, technology transfer and capacity building to support developing countries in their transition to sustainable economies.
According to him, achieving global climate justice requires collective responsibility and meaningful partnerships that ensure vulnerable countries are not left behind in the pursuit of sustainable development.
VP Jallow also outlined five key principles that should guide a renewed global human rights governance framework: human dignity, equity, participation, accountability and solidarity.
He emphasized that development policies must place people at the centre and ensure that economic progress translates into improved living standards and greater protection of fundamental rights.
Concluding his remarks, the Gambian Vice President called for a future where development and human rights are viewed not as competing priorities but as mutually reinforcing pillars of human progress.
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