Amnesty International urges the UN to prioritise human rights in the upcoming COP29 summit in Azerbaijan, citing concerns about restrictions on free speech and peaceful assembly
Amnesty International is raising red flags about the upcoming COP29 climate summit in Azerbaijan. The human rights group is urging the UN to ensure the agreement hosting the event guarantees basic freedoms and is made public immediately.
This concern stems from Azerbaijan's history of cracking down on dissent and a lack of transparency in past COP agreements. Amnesty International points out difficulties obtaining the agreement from last year's summit, raising fears that similar ambiguities could limit free speech and peaceful assembly at COP29.
"People attending COP29 should be able to speak their minds without fear," said Ann Harrison, Amnesty International's Climate Policy Advisor. "Azerbaijan's recent detention of journalists and activists is troubling, and we urge the UN to prioritise human rights in the summit agreement."
Amnesty International is calling for the agreement's release to allow scrutiny and ensure a safe space for discussion at COP29. They also urge Azerbaijan to uphold its commitment to public information disclosure and release the agreement themselves.