Amnesty International (AI) this Wednesday called on leaders attending the United Nations COP28 climate summit to put human rights at the center of their decisions, according to a statement released this Wednesday.
AI called on participants at COP28, which takes place from November 30 to December 12 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to reach an agreement on a fossil fuel phase-out, as well as ensure full participation and free civil society at the conference, putting pressure on the UAE government to liberate dissidents from prison.
“COP28 leaders must steer us away from the climate and human rights catastrophe that is predicted to become even deeper. The only sure way to avoid it is for the states present at COP28 to agree to quickly end the production and use of fossil fuels,” argued Callamard.
Callamard believes that “only in this way will it be possible to help the communities most affected by climate change to recover from loss and damage, ensuring a just transition to renewable energy sources.”
Amnesty International fears that the fossil fuel industry will seek to prevent significant progress at COP28 by influencing decision-making with unsubstantiated strategies to protect the profits of the wealthy few who benefit from the fossil fuel industry.
Summit President Sultan Al Jaber heads the UAE’s state-owned oil company (ADNOC), voicing concerns that COP28 is in the hands of fossil fuel interests.
According to Amnesty International, Al Jaber should resign from his post at ADNOC as it constitutes a conflict of interest and jeopardizes the authority of COP28.
AI previously accused the UAE of ignoring international calls for human rights, questioning issues such as the full, free and fair participation of civil society and the adoption of significant human rights reforms during and after the end of COP28, as the release of all dissenting voices.
Agnès Callamard stressed that “protecting the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and association is essential to achieving these goals” at COP28, stressing that “these are also the United Arab Emirates’ most important human rights obligations.”
In 2022, COP27 identified the creation of a loss and damage fund to help address the negative impacts of climate change on the communities most affected.
Earlier this month, the states finally reached an agreement on how the fund should be run, which is expected to be adopted at COP28, which includes the appointment of the World Bank as the temporary host of the fund for four years.
“We call on the World Bank to clarify whether it can commit to the newly agreed guarantees, as all developing countries and affected communities should be able to access the fund, whereas the World Bank’s usual more restrictive terms do not allow this,” Callamard said .
“Industrialized nations (those with the greatest historical responsibility for emissions) and high-income fossil fuel producing nations must immediately contribute appropriate funding so that this Loss and Damage Fund can begin helping people in dire need,” he added.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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