Egypt: OHCHR calls on Govt. to ensure safe & full participation of civil society ahead of COP27 as crackdowns, arrests & detention create climate of "fear"
"Egypt: United Nations (UN) experts alarmed by restrictions on civil society ahead of climate summit," 7 Oct 2022
Egypt must ensure the safety and full participation of all parts of civil society at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP27) in November, UN human rights experts* said, after a wave of government restrictions on participation raised fears of reprisals against activists.
This new wave follows years of persistent and sustained crackdowns on civil society and human rights defenders using security as a pretext to undermine the legitimate rights of civil society to participate in public affairs in Egypt.
“Arrests and detention, NGO asset freezes and dissolutions and travel restrictions against human rights defenders have created a climate of fear for Egyptian civil society organisations to engage visibly at the COP27,” the experts said.
They warned that Egyptian NGOs have previously been subject to harassment, intimidation and reprisals for cooperating with the UN.