Senator Coons urges Administration to champion human rights at COP27 in Egypt in new letter

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Chris Coons (D-Del.) joined Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.); U.S. Representatives David Cicilline (D-R.I.) and Bill Keating (D-Mass.); and 52 other congressional members in a letter to President Biden urging the Administration to raise human rights concerns with the Egyptian government ahead of this year's Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, more commonly known as COP27. Senator Coons is the co-chair of the Senate Human Rights Caucus and the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs (SFOPS).

"We are … deeply troubled by the message it sends to the world that the Egyptian government is hosting COP27 while imprisoning tens of thousands of political prisoners - including many environmental activists. With the world's attention on Sharm el-Sheikh this month, COP27 presents a unique opportunity for the United States to press the Egyptian government to release these activists and demonstrate its commitment to inclusive engagement with the full range of stakeholders on climate solutions," the lawmakers wrote.

"We urge the Administration to engage the Egyptian government to allow the full participation of civil society throughout this year's summit. This includes ensuring that both participants and observers, including groups critical of the government, have access to engage and express their positions freely at COP27. This simply cannot occur with the unprecedented detention of leading environmental activists and prominent political prisoners."

The lawmakers highlighted Egypt's egregious human rights violations, including widespread arbitrary detentions, restrictions on members of the media and nongovernmental organizations, and the government's crackdown on political opponents. They called attention to the important role that civil society organizations play in the global fight against climate change, promoting government accountability, connecting grassroots efforts across the globe, and translating climate policies to the broader population. In October, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights criticized Egypt for cracking down on civil society and creating a "climate of fear for Egyptian civil society organizations to engage visibly at the COP27."

The lawmakers also recognized that the Global South - including the Middle East and North Africa - is disproportionally affected by climate change, particularly the most vulnerable populations. Egypt itself suffers from issues like water scarcity, rising sea levels, air pollution, and record high temperatures. While Egypt has demonstrated a commitment to leadership on climate issues, its efforts are hindered by a refusal to allow meaningful participation of environmental and civil society groups, activists, and those most impacted by the climate crisis. The lawmakers also urged the Administration to call for the release of specific political prisoners.

Full text of the letter is available here.

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