COP28 UAE – United Nations Climate Change Conference
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be attended by state parties to COP28, the 28th annual UN Climate Change Conference, in addition to thousands of experts, journalists, climate activists, community members, and representatives of businesses and nongovernmental organizations.
It serves as an opportunity for states to debate how to address the climate problem, which is progressively affecting human rights worldwide.
The UN Climate Change Conference of 2023 is scheduled to occur in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from November 30 to December 12, 2023. It will consist of:
- The Conference of the Parties’ 28th session (COP 28)
- The fifth Conference of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 5), Which is the equivalent of the COP’s fifth climate meeting
- The 18th Conference of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (COP 18), also known as the Meeting of the Parties
- The Subsidiary Body for Implementation’s 59th meeting (SBI 59)
- The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice’s 59th meeting (SBSTA 59)
Also Read: COP28 Climate Forum Dubai 2023
What is the COP28’s human rights stake?
The world’s foremost authority on climate science, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, issued a warning in March 2023 about governments’ failure to take adequate action to cut greenhouse gas emissions while also confirming that global warming is reaching record levels.
The panel recommended nations reduce emissions by increasing renewable energy, stopping deforestation, and gradually phasing out fossil fuels.
At this year’s COP, governments must guarantee a fair and equitable transition to renewable energy sources and assist citizens in mitigating the effects of the climate catastrophe to uphold their human rights commitment to combat climate change.
They can achieve this by requesting in the COP28 conclusions a fair and rights-respecting phase-out of all fossil fuels.
At COP28, governments ought to promise not to approve any new fossil fuel initiatives. Also, to limit the effects of climate change and cut emissions quickly, all types of support for coal, gas, and oil developments should be discontinued, including international financing and subsidies.
At the COP26 conference in Glasgow two years ago, states committed to gradually reducing their usage of coal.
However, 81 nations made an ultimately futile attempt to have the phase-out of all fossil fuels included in the final text of the result document during the COP27 in Egypt last year. Saudi Arabia and other Gulf powers blocked the push, according to the Guardian.
What kinds of limitations might be put in place in the UAE during COP28?
The attack on the rights of speech by the UAE affects both non-Emiratis living in the UAE and Emirati residents. Mathew Hedges, a British scholar, was held by Emirati security authorities in 2018 after going on a field study trip for his doctoral thesis.
Before being released due to pressure from the UK government, he was arbitrarily detained in solitary prison for months. The situation involving Hedges exemplifies the possible risks the UAE government may pose to COP28 UAE attendees.
The United Arab Emirates is still developing its offline and online surveillance capabilities. The government uses artificial intelligence and CCTV cameras to monitor public areas through cutting-edge surveillance technology.
A wide range of websites, blogs, chat rooms, and social media platforms are under government monitoring to filter anything the government deems offensive to Emirati rulers, the government, policy, or other sensitive subjects.
At COP28, what role does the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have in defending human rights?
On August 1, 2023, the UAE government and the UNFCCC signed a host agreement for the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties on Climate Change. That arrangement has not been made public.
As required by parties to the UNFCCC in a resolution from June 2023, the UNFCCC Secretariat shall make the host agreement public and guarantee that it “reflects the purposes and the related responsibilities under international human rights law and the principles of the United Nations Charter.”
Wrapping It Up
To confront the growing climate problem, international leaders, specialists, activists, and stakeholders will come together in the next COP28 Dubai 2023. This conference is significant for maintaining human rights obligations and developing ways to lessen the effects of climate change.
Also Read: COP28 Business & Philanthropy Climate Forum
Prachi, an accomplished Chief-Editor at The Sustainable Brands Journal, has 15+ years of experience in Europe, the Middle East, and India, managing 90+ global sustainable brands. She’s a prolific writer in sustainability, contributing to various publications. Prachi’s unwavering passion and expertise make her a recognized authority, driving positive change and inspiring a sustainable future.
