A/HRC/48/78 of illness and mortality, and a study on the impact of chemicals released into the air and water. 35. Biko Rodrigues of the National Coalition of Quilombola communities spoke about Quilombola communities, communities of escaped enslaved people found throughout Brazil, the Amazon, the semi-arid region, and also in the Pantanal. The communities were vulnerable socioeconomically and were subjected to environmental racism, in addition to other manifestations of racism in Brazil. Violence against their communities had surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, to which the authorities had turned a blind eye. More than 1,200 mega projects, a military base and several major hydroelectric projects, including a dam, were planned on Quilombo land that would displace Quilombo communities, particularly those without land demarcation. Although there were more than 6,000 communities, fewer than 200 (mostly in the Amazon region of Brazil) had land titles. One fact that was not widely understood was that 70 per cent of people living in the Amazon region were Black, and that the Quilombos played a vital role in preserving ecosystems and lives, despite the increasing threat to their lands, the murder of several leaders and the pillaging of natural resources during the pandemic. Indigenous, Quilombo, traditional and rural communities protected biodiversity on the frontlines, trying to prevent agribusinesses from destroying the countryside and seeking to preserve the lands of their ancestors so that their grandchildren would be able to live there. Mr. Rodrigues emphasized the efforts made by these communities to save lives. Biodiversity and the environment were the source of life, and were desperately in need of conservation. 36. James Bhagwan, the General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches, stated that the Pacific was rarely recognized as a diverse region, even though more than a quarter of the world’s distinct languages were spoken there. Pacific island nations made up some very large exclusive economic zones and played an important role in safeguarding natural resources. Pacific island people saw themselves as part of the land and had an almost spiritual relationship with land and sea, seeing the Pacific as the blue heart of the planet, providing oxygen, a carbon sink, food, minerals and more. Pacific island States had been at the forefront of advocating for climate justice, not only from a human rights perspective but also as a moral imperative, as it concerned the possible extinction of living cultures and the disappearance of sovereign States. Structural racism might explain the slowness and lack of resources provided to engage on climate change or developing adaptation and mitigation policies. Some development aid was being inappropriately recharacterized as climate adaptation and mitigation resources, while pressing issues, such as climate-induced relocation due to rising seas and extreme weather patterns, had broad implications for security. The issues of dignity, justice and human rights were prevalent in the context of climate-induced migration. The work done to address COVID-19 should not come at the expense of addressing climate change and the climate crisis. 37. During the interactive dialogue, in response to a question by Mr. Sunga, Sharon Lavigne cited categories of reparations and restitution, including coverage of medical expenses related to industrial pollution, restoration of land and water, the acknowledgement of ancestors with gravesites and monuments, payment for pain and suffering, and restoration of the values of properties owned by the people still living in the 4th and 5th districts of St. James parish. Mr. Gumedze stated that, in addressing the climate crisis, people should not forget the historical and structural racism that have pushed many communities of Africa into marginalization and poverty. Myriam Miranda pointed out that the climate crisis required holistic and robust action. Companies should be held to account and assume their true obligations with regard to the future and the climate. Decision-makers should take sustainable decisions that were valid for the future. Destroying the environment was an abdication of responsibility to future generations. Policies should recognize the global emergency for humankind. 38. The representative of the European Union spoke about climate action and the European Green Deal package of measures, which had the aim of protecting the planet but also of making the transition just and inclusive for all. The European Union was also working to improve access to justice in environmental matters, such as through the Aarhus Convention. As part of its action plan against racism 2020–2025, the European Union had adopted a new Roma strategic framework that included action to mitigate the 9