Accra, March 23, - Civil society
organisations (CSOs) and allies have expressed concern over the passage of a
Bill in Poland that will prevent environmental rights defenders to protest
against detrimental climate change policies during COP24 in Poland in December
2018.
The Bill was passed on specific
solutions related to the organisation of the session of the Conference of the
Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24) in
the Polish Parliament.
A release signed by Neha Gupta,
the Information and Communications Officer of the Asia Pacific Forum on Women,
Law and Development, and copied to the GNA, said over 116 CSOs have expressed
concern over the passage of the Bill.
The Bill would give power to the
Polish Government to subject human rights defenders to state-led surveillance
including access and storing all personal information.
The new Act sets a dangerous
precedent and, therefore, the CSOs have demanded that the Act should be
repealed to aid in upholding human rights.
Noelene Nabulivou, Diva for
Equality and Pacific Partnerships on Gender, Climate Change, and Sustainable
Development from Fiji, says: “We are concerned that the climate negotiations
will be a farce if they are conducted in an atmosphere of fear, threat and
intimidation.
“People of the Pacific are
already facing loss and damage to ourselves and our environment.
“Meanwhile we are working to change social,
economic and environmental models that are damaging people and the planet. So
the last thing we want to see at this time is a roll back on state commitments
to civic freedom and climate change action.”
Alma Sinumlag of the Cordillera
Women’s Education Action Research Centre in the Philippines said: “I have
participated and protested at COP before and never felt threatened. I am deeply
concerned that environmental defenders, especially indigenous women, urban poor
and rural women human rights defenders from every region of the world who plan
to participate in COP24 this year in Poland will face great risks”.
2017 was the deadliest year for
environmental human rights defenders, where at least 197 human rights defenders
were killed for protecting their land and resources. If patriarchal,
authoritarian governments make this trend a norm, then 2018 could be an even
worse year for human rights defenders and their communities, the release said.
Sascha Gabizon, WECF International
based in the Netherlands said: “The Bill infringes on the European Convention
on Human Rights and sets a dangerous precedent that undermines the basic human
rights and fundamental freedoms outlined therein, particularly the right to
freedom of peaceful assembly, association and of speech”.
The CSOs demanded the Polish
Government to repeal the harmful Act, reminding the Government of Poland to
uphold their legal and human rights obligations as set out in the European
Convention of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights.
“We also urge the United Nations,
Fiji Presidency of 2017, Talanoa Dialogue and Constituencies to take action to
redress this issue urgently," the release said.
The Asia Pacific Forum on Women,
Law and Development is a network of more than 200 organisations and activists
working in 27 countries in the Asia Pacific Region.
The forum had engaged in 30 years
of advocacy, activism and movement building to advance women’s human rights,
development and justice.
GNA
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