AO1: The United Nations preamble from 1945 references a desire to ‘reaffirm faith in human rights, it made the UN Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. AO2: This is important because it illustrates the interest that the UN has had in human rights since its creation in comparison with the more recently developed concern for the environment AO3: This suggests that the United Nations is fundamentally concerned about Human Rights as one of its key areas of focus and has acted in defence of human rights since the 1940s unlike the environment AO1: Many UN peace-keeping operations and political and peacebuilding operations include human rights related mandates whilst environmental concern is far more rare. AO2: This is important because it shows that the United Nations has a regard for human rights in most of the operations that it is involved in AO3: This shows that the United Nations recognises and responds to human rights concerns far more often and with a far greater focus and determination than on environmental issues AO1: The Security Council often deals with human rights issues and has the ability to sanction military action and economic embargoes whereas environmental discussion tends to be tackled elsewhere . AO2: This is significant because the Security Council is considered to be the most powerful and significant body in the United Nations and is able to enforce decisions relating to human rights more effectively than other bodies which may have environmental concerns AO3: Therefore the United Nations has been able, through the power and significance of the Security Council to raise the profile of human rights issues and to repeatedly act with power and purpose in their defence AO1: The United Nations has established a large number of Human Rights committees and agencies since it was created in the 1940s which include areas such as advancement of women, indigenous issues, treatment of refugees, elimination of racism and discrimination and to protect children whereas environmental committees are less long lived. AO2: This is important because it illustrates the range and variety of human rights agencies and makes clear that the United Nations has been working to protect a large variety of human rights concern for many years AO3: This focus on human rights makes clear that the United Nations has had a greater desire to successfully address human rights issues than most other global issues including the environment since 1945

AO1: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change was established as a result of the process beginning with the Rio Earth Summit and the numerous annual summits including the largest and most significant Kyoto, Copenhagen and Paris summits. AO2: This is important because the size and scale of these summits makes clear how significant an issue climate change is for the United Nations and how determined it is to tackle environmental issues AO3: In conclusion, the United Nations appears to have shifted its primary focus from areas such as human rights to the environment in recent years and to tackling what most states see as the major issue in global politics, arguably replacing human rights concerns AO1: As of early 2021, all 197 UNFCCC states have signed or acceded to the Paris Treaty including China and the US who are the two biggest CO2 emitters. AO2: This is important because it shows almost universal support for the most recent significant global environment treaty which contrasts with disagreements between states over human rights treaties and conventions which tend not to be signed by all states AO3: This suggests that the United Nations has been far more successful in bringing states together, purposefully, in support of environmental concerns when compared with human rights concerns AO1: The United Nations member states have universally recognised through global UN agreements that climate change is a significant threat to all member states and there is agreement that emissions must be limited whereas there are significant divisions over definitions and application of human rights in the UN. AO2: This is important because it shows that the United Nations member states have a common purpose/consensus and are able to support the United Nations in taking action unlike in the human rights arena where there are cultural and other complications AO3: Unity and common purpose has allowed the United Nations to continue to move forwards in climate change agreements and to make purposeful arrangements which contrasts with the log jam caused by differences over human rights AO1: The United Nations has developed numerous bodies concerned with the environment including the Food and Agricultural Organisation and the UN Environment Programme which in turn has created the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. AO2: This is important because it demonstrates that the UN is concerned about climate change, assessing its impacts and future risks and all options for adaptation and shows that is willing, through the IPCC, to share scientific information with decision makers AO3: This suggests that the United Nations is particularly imaginative in terms of working solutions to environmental concerns rather than simply condemning states which is arguably the main purpose of similar human rights United Nations agencies