(Beirut) Thirty human rights NGOs warned on Tuesday that restrictions on the right to demonstrate and freedom of expression in Egypt “could prevent full and active participation” of civil society at COP27 scheduled for November.
Posted at 12:02 p.m.
Cairo, which has constantly muzzled any form of opposition, independent press or online activism since President Abdel Fattah al-Sissi came to power in 2013, has already affirmed that the demonstrations – a necessary passage for climate summits – would be organized “inside a building” constructed for this purpose.
“The Egyptian authorities must unconditionally authorize peaceful demonstrations and gatherings at the time of COP27”, replied Tuesday the 36 NGOs that signed this text, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch (HRW).
Since taking power – calling on Egyptians to demonstrate in the hundreds of thousands to “give him a mandate” to overthrow the then Islamist president – Mr Sisi has banned demonstrations, redesigned public spaces to prevent any gathering and Egyptians are regularly imprisoned for having called for mobilization online.
“For a solid and rights-respecting climate action, there must be full and active participation of all actors: States, activists, civil society”, continue the NGOs, and these conditions are not met in a country which has more than 60 000 prisoners of conscience, according to them.
“UN Member States, especially those who will be participating in COP27, must urge the Egyptian authorities […] to ensure the safe and useful participation of civil society so that this COP27 is a success”, the NGOs further state.
Cairo is particularly counting on hosting this summit to reposition itself at the center of the regional diplomatic scene.
While many foreign capitals have congratulated Egypt on having obtained the right to host COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, on the Red Sea, NGOs regularly denounce this choice.
They see it as “a reward for Mr. Sisi’s repressive system” and additional international legitimacy for a State mired in the political and economic slump due to costly megaprojects when a third of the population is poor and as ready to plunge under the poverty line according to the World Bank.