In the run up to the UN Climate Change Conference 2022 (COP27) taking place in Egypt’s resort town of Sharm El Sheikh from 7 to18 November 2022, the undersigned organizations, groups and individuals note with great concern the human rights situation in Egypt and in particular the government’s restrictions on the rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly, which risk to undermine a successful, inclusive and participatory climate summit.

Advancing climate justice demands an inclusive, holistic approach to environmental policy that embeds human rights and tackles systemic problems, including historically rooted social injustices, ecological destruction, abuses by businesses, corruption and impunity, and social and economic inequality. The strongest voices across the world pushing back against these systemic problems, and in favor of more meaningful and ambitious climate action, have come from civil society.

We voice our support to the call made by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association: that the work of civil society be recognized, publicly and at the highest levels, as essential to the advancement of climate action and just transition. Moreover, we stress the importance of the right to freedom of expression and independent reporting to foster efforts to address the climate crisis.

We emphasize that effective climate action is not possible without open civic space. As host of COP27, Egypt risks compromising the success of the summit if it does not urgently address ongoing arbitrary restrictions on civil society.

We call on Egypt to ensure that civil society organizations, activists, and communities can meaningfully participate in all discussions and activities on climate and just-transition policy development and implementation at all levels of decision-making without fear of reprisals. Authorities must put in place transparent and inclusive processes to ensure that everyone, including women, Indigenous peoples and local communities, workers, youth, children, persons with disabilities, and other groups facing

marginalization or discrimination, is provided with equal opportunities to effectively participate in climate decision-making.

We also call on Egypt to end the prosecutions of civil society activists and organizations and guarantee space for civil society—including human rights defenders—to work without fear of intimidation, harassment, arrest, detention, or any other form of reprisal, including by releasing of unjustly jailed human rights defenders, lifting arbitrarily travel bans and asset freezes and closing all politically-motivated cases against activists targeted for their human rights work.

Access to information is central to effective participation. To this end, we call on the Egyptian authorities to immediately end the arbitrarily blocking of websites and ensure access inside the country to the hundreds of independent media, human rights organizations and other blocked websites. We also call for the immediate release of all journalists who have been imprisoned solely for doing their job, and an end to restrictions on media and digital spheres.

We recognize that a select number of journalists, human rights defenders, and other individuals who had been arbitrarily detained were conditionally released in recent months. We urge the Egyptian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release all those held simply for peacefully exercising their human rights, implementing criteria set by local NGOs for these releases: fairness, transparency, inclusiveness, and urgency.

Preparations for COP27 are taking place against the backdrop of an ongoing and deep-rooted human rights crisis in Egypt. The Egyptian authorities have for years employed draconian laws, including laws on counter terrorism, cyber crimes, and civil society, to stifle all forms of peaceful dissent and shut down civic space. We note that, under the current government of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, thousands continue to be arbitrarily detained without a legal basis, following grossly unfair trials, or solely for peacefully exercising their human rights. Thousands are held in prolonged per-trial detention on the basis of spurious terrorism and national security accusations. Among those arbitrarily detained are dozens of journalists targeted for their media work, social media users punished for sharing critical online content, women convicted on morality-related charges for making Tik Tok videos, and members of religious minorities accused of blasphemy.

Prisoners are held in detention conditions that violate the absolute prohibition of torture and other ill-treatment, and since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi came to power hundreds have died in custody amid reports of denial of healthcare and other abuse. Egypt remains one of the world’s top executioners, executing 107 in 2020 to 83 in 2021, with at least 356 people sentenced to death in 2021, many following grossly unfair trials including by emergency courts. The crisis of impunity has emboldened Egyptian security forces to carry out extra-judicial executions and other unlawful killing, enforced disappearances and torture with no fear of consequences.

The Egyptian authorities must take meaningful steps to address the human rights crisis, including by lifting restrictions of civic space and ending their crackdown on peaceful dissent.

Led by:

  1. Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression (AFTE)
  2. Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies (CIHRS)
  3. Committee for Justice (CFJ)
  4. Egyptian Front for Human Rights (EFHR)
  5. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR)
  6. Egypt Wide for Human Rights
  7. El Nadeem Center Against Violence and Torture
  8. Refugees Platform in Egypt (RPE)
  9. Sinai Foundation for Human Rights
  10. The Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms (ECRF)
  11. The Freedom Initiative (FI)
  12. Egyptian Human Rights Forum

Supported by:

Organizations/groups:

  1. 350 Aotearoa
  2. AAA Accountancy UK
  3. AbibiNsroma Foundation ANF
  4. Access Now
  5. Aid/Watch
  6. Amnesty International
  7. Arab Network for Knowledge about Human rights
  8. Arayara.org
  9. Asia Pacific Network of Environment Defenders
  10. ASSOCIATION DES AMIS DE LA NATURE AAN
  11. Association des jeunes pour le développement du Ouaddai
  12. Avli Initiative
  13. BankTrack
  14. CADIRE CAMEROON ASSOCIATION
  15. CAN Latin America
  16. CAN Tanzania
  17. CAN-Japan
  18. Center for Environmental Concerns – Philippines Inc.
  19. Center for International Environmental Law
  20. Centre for Citizens Conserving Environment & Management (CECIC)
  21. Climate & Sustainability
  22. Climate Justice Alliance
  23. CNCD-11.11.11
  24. Coal Action Network Aotearoa
  25. Coalition Marocaine pour la Justice Climatique (CMJC)
  26. CODEPINK
  27. Collectif Sénégalais des Africaines pour la Promotion de l’Éducation Relative à l’Environnement ( COSAPERE)
  28. Commission on Environment and Climate Justice – International League of Peoples’ Struggle
  29. Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience
  30. Democracy for the Arab World Now (DAWN)
  31. DIGNITY – Danish Institute Against Torture
  32. Eastbourne Solidarity
  33. EcoEquity
  34. Ecologistas en Acción
  35. Egyptian Americans For Justice
  36. Emonyo Yefwe International
  37. Environmental conflict mediation and Women Development
  38. Environmental Justice Foundation
  39. Equidad de Genero: Ciudadanía, Trabajo y Familia
  40. Fastenaktion
  41. Finnish Development NGOs – Fingo
  42. FOKUS – Forum for Women and Development
  43. FORUM DES ENGAGES POUR LE DÉVELOPPEMENT DURABLE
  44. Forum des Jeunes
  45. Franciscan Action Network
  46. Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland
  47. Friends of the Earth Germany/ BUND
  48. Friends of the Earth Scotland
  49. G.R.A.M.E.D
  50. GAIA – Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives
  51. Gastivists Collective
  52. GenderCC-Women for Climate Justice e.V.
  53. Global Justice Now
  54. Heinrich Boell Foundation
  55. Human Rights Without Frontiers
  56. HuMENA for Human Rights and Civic Engagement
  57. ILPS Commission 10
  58. Indigenous Peoples’ Organisation-Australia
  59. International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL)
  60. International Peace Bureau
  61. International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)
  62. Kabataan para sa Tribung Pilipino (Katribu Youth)
  63. Karamoja Go Green
  64. Klima Action Malaysia (KAMY)
  65. Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation
  66. Ligue pour la solidarité congolaise
  67. Liverpool City Region Climate Justice Coalition
  68. Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns
  69. Merdeka West Papua Support Network
  70. Migrante International
  71. Minority Rights Group International
  72. Mom Loves Taiwan Association
  73. NAJU (Youth Association for the Protection of Nature)
  74. NDEO
  75. NEW HOPE FOR THE POOR
  76. North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS)
  77. Observatório do Clima
  78. Observatory for the Protection of the Environment and Historical Monument
  79. Physicians for Social Responsibility Pennsylvania
  80. Protection International
  81. Reacción Climática
  82. Saharawi Active Youth
  83. Sankalpa Darchula Nepal, South Asia
  84. SERUNI
  85. Sisters of Charity Federation
  86. Sisters of Charity of Seton Hill
  87. Somali Youth Development Foundation (SYDF)
  88. Sukaar Welfare Organization
  89. The Green Youth Movement (DGUB) (Denmark)
  90. The Resilient40
  91. The SANE Collective
  92. Tipping Point UK
  93. Transnational Institute
  94. Tulele Peisa Inc
  95. UNISC International
  96. US Committe to End Political Repression in Egypt
  97. Vikas Adhyayan Kendra
  98. War on Want
  99. Water Justice and Gender
  100. Women Engage for a Common Future
  101. World Friends for Africa Burkina Faso/ Membership Organiser at CAN West and Central Africa
  102. World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) in the framework of the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders
  103. Yorkshire and the Humber Climate Justice Coalition
  104. Youth for Development and Human Rights Advancement

Individuals:  

  1. Ahti Tolvanen 
  2. Akouete FOLLY QUMEGAWU 
  3. Alia Hammad 
  4. Andreas Moesch 
  5. Aurelie Buytaert 
  6. Basila Maya 
  7. Bed Awa-ao 
  8. Bernard Barré 
  9. Beverley Binfield  
  10. Beverly L. Longid  
  11. Billon 
  12. Bjørn Olav Utvik 
  13. Carmen fulco  
  14. Céline Lebrun Shaath 
  15. Cesar Bollecer Jr 
  16. Chanchana  
  17. Chris  Preston 
  18. Chris Vrettos 
  19. Christiane Hildebrandt 
  20. Christina Maria Cecilia M. Sayson 
  21. Christine-Anne 
  22. corinna baudisch 
  23. Daniel Leclerc 
  24. David Jesero 
  25. David Robertson  
  26. Dayoon Kim 
  27. Dr Oye Ideki 
  28. Elle Glenny 
  29. Elondra Eichenberger  
  30. Francesca Biancani  
  31. Francesco Correale
  32. G. Andrea Teti
  33. Gabriele Köhler 
  34. Geoffrey Mock 
  35. Gine Zwart 
  36. Hendrik Voss 
  37. Isabelle Sain 
  38. Ivan Hortal Sánchez 
  39. Jeremy Adeba  
  40. John Chalcraft  
  41. Jorge Martínez 
  42. Josh Hughes 
  43. Julia Horn 
  44. Julian Hirschmann 
  45. Kerstin Doerenbruch 
  46. Komla Bassah 
  47. Lenka Hélová 
  48. Lin Patterson 
  49. Lorena Cotza 
  50. Lydia Darby 
  51. Mamadou SYLLA  
  52. Mamta Lukram 
  53. Manuel Leick-Jonard 
  54. Mariam TOURE KEITA 
  55. Marie Lecocq 
  56. Mario Caffera 
  57. Mark Doran  
  58. martin mantxo 
  59. Martin Vilela 
  60. Mehdy BELABBAS 
  61. Melony 
  62. Mia Bradić 
  63. Michael Barkley 
  64. Michael Ineichen 
  65. Michael Taylor 
  66. Michel Vanhoorne 
  67. Mounir Satouri 
  68. Narasimha Reddy Donthi 
  69. Natalie Rivas 
  70. Natasha 
  71. Ndivile Mokoena 
  72. nelia lauper 
  73. Rachel Allen 
  74. Ramy Shaath 
  75. Rosa van Driel 
  76. Roshan Lal 
  77. Salma El Hosseiny 
  78. sarah sakouti 
  79. Shaimaa Elbanna 
  80. Shaon Zeiler 
  81. Shima 
  82. Simone Lennerz 
  83. Sofie Bech Larsen 
  84. Sophie Maziane 
  85. Stephen Crozier 
  86. Steve Ongerth 
  87. Ted Swedenburg 
  88. Veena Balakrishnan 
  89. Yazan Badran 
  90. Yohei Takata 
  91. Christa Salamandra 
  92. Esha Shah 
  93. Hugo Alan 
  94. John Schaefer 
  95. Ron Smith 
  96. Sandra Carter 

Read the full list of signatories here. This petition is open for endorsements by organizations, groups and individuals until COP27 in November 2022 and will be updated on the Egyptian human rights coalition on COP27 website.