Climate justice and rights-based climate action are among the most pressing issues of the modern era. Naturally, United Nations Human Rights is committed to this fight — and it understands that music is the universal language.



That's why the organization partnered with the world's leading society of music people — the Recording Academy — to ring in the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

And they did it at the Academy's New York Chapter Office, with a gripping performance by five-time GRAMMY winner Angélique Kidjo and GRAMMY nominee JP Saxe. Dubbed a Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Concert, the event leads off a series of the same name.

"We are immensely proud to have celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in our Recording Academy New York office and I'm thrilled to continue our impactful partnership with the United Nations," Harvey Mason jr., CEO of the Recording Academy, said in a statement.

The concert series aims to bring together some of the most popular arena acts to perform in small iconic concert venues around the globe while shining a light on climate issues such as floods, droughts, fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, tsunamis, clean water, ocean acidity, deforestation, as well as food insecurity, mental health, and more.

Other cities being considered for Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concerts in 2024 include Berlin, London, Kigali, Seoul, and Rio de Janeiro. Wesley Schultz of the two-time GRAMMY-nominated band the Lumineers and six-time GRAMMY-nominated British singer-songwriter YOLA performed at the first U.S. concert held earlier this year in Boulder, Colorado.

"I look forward to working alongside UN Human Rights," he continued, "to showcase how the power of music can raise awareness and help promote change surrounding human rights issues around the world," Mason jr continued.

Proceeds from Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concerts will go to United Nations Human Rights climate justice initiatives and MusiCares, the leading music charity providing music professionals health and human services across a spectrum of needs. The Right Here, Right Now MusiCares Fund was established this year to focus relief efforts for music communities impacted by climate crisis.

Said David Clark, founder and CEO of Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance, parent organization of Right Here, Right Now Music: "The United Nations' Universal Declaration of Human Rights document was created after the upheaval of WWII to outline individual human rights for everyone.

"As we celebrate its 75th anniversary," he continued, "we are proud to use it as the foundation to bring world attention to the human rights implications resulting from climate change, as the poor and marginalized continue to bear the brunt of it.

"Through our upcoming Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concerts," Clark added, "we seek to reframe the climate crisis as the fundamental human rights crisis that it is and thank the Recording Academy and UN Human Rights for being such dedicated partners in this worldwide effort."

Since its unveiling at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, Right Here, Right Now Global Climate Alliance has emerged as the largest public-private partnership addressing climate change as a human rights issue, assembling human rights experts, scientists, corporate leaders, NGOs, academics, advocates, and people around the globe in the fight for rights-based climate action to preserve our common future.

Keep checking RecordingAcademy.com for more info about the Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concerts, and the Academy's thrilling, ongoing collaboration with United Nations Human Rights.