The importance of the annual UN Climate Summits could not be higher, as the world grapples with a climate emergency that’s also a human rights crisis. And it doesn’t help when host countries have deeply flawed human rights records.
Point in case: the most recent climate summit #COP27 in Egypt.
You’d think things couldn’t get much worse, but this year the United Arab Emirates will host the event and the early signs aren’t encouraging. Speakers at a recent climate and health summit in UAE’s capital Abu Dhabi were advised not to “criticize Islam, the government, corporations or individuals” or protest while in the country, according to the Financial Times.
The warning is a stark reminder of UAE’s zero tolerance towards criticism. Since 2011, authorities have carried out an assault on freedom of expression and association, arresting and prosecuting scores of independent lawyers, judges, teachers, students, and activists. In late 2021, legal changes were introduced that have deepened the repression.
When asked whether criticism of the government’s policies or businesses, including through protest, would be permitted during COP28, a UAE spokesperson said organizers would ensure “there are safe spaces where all voices may be heard.” It’s hard to imagine any participant feeling reassured by this statement. The UAE’s intolerance for criticism even extends to jailing foreign residents and foreign nationals visiting the country.
Beyond the dangers for COP28 participants, there could be wider repercussions for people supporting ambitious climate action. Reporting about health and climate harms of fossil fuels in the UAE – one of the world’s largest oil producers – could be dangerous for those who dare to speak up.
It also creates an ominous atmosphere for civil society organizations who play a critical role in calling out governments and corporations looking to undermine efforts to address the climate emergency.