<div dir="ltr">
<div class="gmail-top-anchor"></div>
<div id="gmail-toolbar" class="gmail-toolbar-container">
</div><div class="gmail-container" dir="ltr" lang="en">
<div class="gmail-header gmail-reader-header gmail-reader-show-element">
<a class="gmail-domain gmail-reader-domain" href="https://www.addameer.org/news/4924">addameer.org</a>
<div class="gmail-domain-border"></div>
<h1 class="gmail-reader-title">Palestinian Organisations to COP27: Climate Justice Demands Free Civic Climate Space</h1>
<div class="gmail-credits gmail-reader-credits"></div>
</div>
<hr>
<div class="gmail-content">
<div class="gmail-moz-reader-content gmail-reader-show-element"><div id="gmail-readability-page-1" class="gmail-page"><div id="gmail-main-wrapper">
<a id="gmail-main-content" tabindex="-1"></a>
<div id="gmail-block-beyond-designs-addameer-system-main">
<div>
<p><img src="https://www.addameer.org/sites/default/files/styles/scale_ima/public/upload/news/convers/%23FreeAlaa.png?itok=UlDwdvzR" alt="" class="gmail-moz-reader-block-img" width="400" height="243">
</p>
<p>09-11-2022
</p>
<div><p><span><span><span><span lang="en-IL"><span><span><span>As
the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) was launched in
Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt on 6 November, and as global leaders,
governmental representatives and policy makers convened to negotiate
climate justice, British-Egyptian human rights defender (HRD) and
prisoner of conscious, Alaa Abdel Fattah, drank his last glass of water
in an Egyptian prison after being on more than <a href="https://alhaq.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=10071401ba4201bc1a4992f68&id=28728e4b9a&e=471ff58de5"><span>200 days</span></a> of partial hunger strike. If not released, Alaa will die before the end of COP27. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span lang="en-IL"><span><span><span>The
undersigned Palestinian organizations stress on the interconnected
nature of the climate justice struggle with human rights, social justice
and struggles of self-determination and freedom. We thereby demand that
States situate human rights and freedoms at the core of their
negotiations at COP27 to allow for an inclusive and genuine global
climate summit. We join our voices to the global voices calling for the
immediate release of Alaa Abd El Fattah and all Egyptian, Palestinian
and political prisoners across the globe, arbitrarily arrested and
detained solely for exercising their human rights.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span lang="en-IL"><span><span><span>Climate justice cannot be separated from human rights. On the one hand, climate change significantly <a href="https://alhaq.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=10071401ba4201bc1a4992f68&id=6e6a28f1be&e=471ff58de5"><span>affects</span></a>
the enjoyment of fundamental human rights including the right to safe
and adequate water and food, the right to health, adequate housing,
education, as well as the right to development and self-determination.
On the other hand, it is global regimes of colonialism, neoliberalism,
occupation, racial discrimination, and authoritarianism, which violate
and deprive people of their human rights, including their political,
civil, and socio-economic rights, their right to self-determination,
their right to full sovereignty of their lands and natural resources,
thereby standing as a key driver to entrenching the climate crisis. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span lang="en-IL"><span><span><span>At the same
time, standing at the forefront of the climate justice movement are
indigenous peoples, grassroots movements for social justice, civil
society organisations, and HRDs, including environmental HRDs, as
highlighted by the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of
Peaceful Assembly and of Association.<a name="_ftnref1" id="gmail-_ftnref1"></a><a><sup><span>[1]</span></sup></a>
Under international human rights law, States are obliged to refrain
from applying laws and engaging in practices that interfere with the
exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of
association, as well as to promote an enabling environment, within which
these rights can be effectively exercised.<a name="_ftnref2" id="gmail-_ftnref2"></a><a><sup><span>[2]</span></sup></a>
States are also obliged to fulfil the collective right to
self-determination of people, including their right to freely determine
their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and
cultural development, and their right to full sovereignty over their
natural resources and wealth.<a name="_ftnref3" id="gmail-_ftnref3"></a><a><span>[3]</span></a>
Additionally, both the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, and
the Paris Agreement oblige State Parties to facilitate public
participation in addressing climate change.<a name="_ftnref4" id="gmail-_ftnref4"></a><a><sup><span>[4]</span></sup></a></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span lang="en-IL"><span><span><span>Regrettably,
instead of uplifting the justice struggle, including the climate justice
struggle, many States have been violating the rights and freedoms of
HRDs and civil society through physical attacks, killings, smear
campaigns, restrictions on peaceful assemblies, arbitrary arrests,
criminalization, judicial harassment and surveillance.<a name="_ftnref5" id="gmail-_ftnref5"></a><a><sup><span>[5]</span></sup></a>
In colonial and authoritarian contexts, States have relied on
counterterrorism laws and security pretexts for such violations. These
repressive actions are not only in contravention of international human
rights law, they are also an embodiment of global systems of oppression
interested in maintaining the political status quo to expand their
colonial domination, powers and profit.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><span lang="en-IL"><span><span><span>In September 2021, Alaa Abdul Fattah wrote from his prison cell: “<em><span>I’ve been on hunger strike four times … and each time I remember the Palestinian captives’ strike. </span></em><a href="https://alhaq.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=10071401ba4201bc1a4992f68&id=4669a4334f&e=471ff58de5"><em><span><span><span><span>Palestine’s always on my mind</span></span></span></span></em></a><em><span>…
Does a captive have the right to ask for help from the besieged? I know
that these questions show how ancient I am, but I’m an Arab and
Palestine’s always on my mind. And, in my defense</span></em>,<em><span> I’ll say that I refused to be humiliated in my country, and I never lowered my banners, and it should count that I</span></em> <em><span>stood
in the face of my oppressors: an orphan, naked and barefoot, and my
solace is that the tragedy I’m living is but my share of yours. I call
out to you: you are always on my mind</span></em>.” The undersigned
organisations reiterate that freedom in Palestine will not be complete
without freedom of all people under systems of colonialism, occupation,
racial discrimination, and authoritarianism.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><strong><u><span lang="en-IL"><span><span><span>The signed Palestinian Civil Society Organizations and Networks:</span></span></span></span></u></strong></span></span></span></p>
<ol><li><span><span><span><span><span><span lang="en-IL"><span><span>Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span lang="en-IL"><span><span>Al-Haq, Law in the Service of Man</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span lang="en-IL"><span><span>Center for Defense of Liberties & Civil Rights "HURRYYAT"</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span lang="en-IL"><span><span>Defense for Children International - Palestine</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span lang="en-IL"><span><span>Palestinian BDS National Committee (BNC) </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span lang="en-IL"><span><span>The Civic Coalition for Palestinians Right in Jerusalem</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span lang="en-IL"><span><span>The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy – MIFTAH</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span lang="en-IL"><span><span>The Palestine Institute for Public Diplomacy</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span lang="en-IL"><span><span>The Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO)</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li><li><span><span><span><span><span><span><span><span lang="en-IL"><span><span>The Women’s Center for Legal Aid and Counselling</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></li></ol>
<p><span><span><span><a name="_ftn1" id="gmail-_ftn1"></a><a><span lang="en-IL"><span><span><span>[1]</span></span></span></span></a><span lang="en-IL"><span><span><span>
UNGA, “Exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of
association as essential to advancing climate justice” (23 July 2021) UN
Doc A/76/222.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><a name="_ftn2" id="gmail-_ftn2"></a><a><span lang="en-IL"><span><span><span>[2]</span></span></span></span></a><span lang="en-IL"><span><span><span> <em><span>Ibid. </span></em></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><a name="_ftn3" id="gmail-_ftn3"></a><a><span lang="en-IL"><span><span><span>[3]</span></span></span></span></a><span lang="en-IL"><span><span><span>
Common Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><span><a name="_ftn4" id="gmail-_ftn4"></a><a><span lang="en-IL"><span><span><span>[4]</span></span></span></span></a><span lang="en-IL"><span><span><span> UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, art. 6; Paris Agreement, articles 7 and 12.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p><span><span><a name="_ftn5" id="gmail-_ftn5"></a><a><span><span><span>[5]</span></span></span></a><span><span><span>
UNGA, “Exercise of the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of
association as essential to advancing climate justice” (23 July 2021) UN
Doc A/76/222.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div></div></div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
<div></div>
</div>
</div>