Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is meeting with other world leaders in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, a secluded luxury resort town on the Red Sea, for this year’s United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27). In spite of the fact that combating climate change should be everyone’s top priority, the COP27 meeting has drawn criticism due to the human rights and environmental records of its host country. Guilbeault should not shy away from addressing these issues with his Egyptian hosts.
As a platform for African activists to speak up for communities ravaged by drought, floods and resource development projects, COP27 has been dubbed the “African COP.” However, only 20 per cent of African activists have been allowed to take part. Residents of Sharm El Sheikh report that authorities have increased security and harassed them in preparation for COP27. A nationwide call for peaceful demonstrations on Nov. 11 led to the arrest of dozens of protesters.
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