ENVIRONMENTAL activists, human rights defenders, and indigenous campaigners have reported instances of harassment, threats, and intimidation at UN events, including the recent COP28 climate conference in Dubai, creating a climate of fear and inhibiting their ability to speak out on critical issues due to fears of reprisals from governments or fossil fuel industries, according to experts.

“In the last few years, we’ve seen Indigenous representatives being filmed by people related to government institutions while giving statements about human rights at UN events, or photographed just for being present at a UN event,” Lola García-Alix, the Senior Adviser for Global Governance at the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs told The Guardian.

Activists, whether indigenous or not, have claimed that individuals affiliated with governments or fossil fuel industries employed filming and photography as a means of intimidation.

“This intimidation causes extreme fear. There are many people who simply wouldn’t speak their truth publicly for fear of being targeted later,” she added.

Campaigners threatened with ‘de-badging’; many say they didn’t use Whatsapp due to monitoring concerns

“Many individuals who made speeches during actions for Palestine or West Papua had reps from Israel and Indonesia taking closeup shots of them,” said Neeka Jun from the Climate Alliance for Palestine.

During COP28, Marta Schaaf, Amnesty International’s program director for climate, economic and social justice, and corporate accountability, experienced challenges as her delegation aimed to spotlight the connection between human rights and climate action in Cop host countries, such as the UAE and Egypt.

The UNFCCC and UN security demanded alterations, including the removal of text and photos, citing safety concerns and indicating that compliance was necessary to guarantee safety.

Ms Schaaf expressed concerns about freedom of expression and the right to protest at COP, emphasising the importance of the UNFCCC’s commitment to implementing safeguards for participant protection.

“We were told our safety couldn’t be guaranteed if we didn’t comply with the requests,” she said.

Numerous participants at COP28 refrained from using messaging services or WhatsApp due to apprehensions about potential monitoring of their messages. Additionally, they were hesitant to openly discuss the causes they cared about in public spaces, given the extensive installation of thousands of cameras in various locations. The participants were scared to openly discuss or protest on wider issues, such as Israel and Gaza.

“I was stopped by a security guard for a watermelon pin [a sign of solidarity with Palestine] I was wearing,” Krishna, a climate campaigner from the Philippines, said. “He said I could be debadged.”

In Dubai, additional indigenous activists noted a climate of intimidation during COP28. Mesiah Burciaga-Hameed, an activist associated with Native Land Digital, highlighted the prevalence of surveillance and harassment, noting instances where they were inexplicably delayed from entering events.

“Despite the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) promoting itself as a peaceful space for self-expression, the reality is that it stifles the voices of many individuals,” Ms Hameed said.

Published in Dawn, December 21st, 2023