UN investigates “surveillance” at COP27 after complaints from participants

The complaint came from several COP27 participants, including activists, NGOs and experts. They said they felt under “surveillance” during the summit.

The UN Department of Security, which is working directly with the Egyptian police, said it has been informed of “accusations” of violations of the code of conduct and is “investigating these allegations.”

The accusations came after the German delegation held an event with Sanaa Seif, sister of jailed pro-democracy dissident Alaa Abdel Fattah, who is on hunger strike.

Seven months after starting the hunger strike, Abdel Fattah began refusing to drink liquids since November 6, the same day as the start of COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, to protest the situation he and 60.000 other political prisoners face. in Egypt.

Abdel Fattah wrote a letter to his family in which he states that he is “fine” and that, since Saturday, he has been “drinking again”, his lawyer, Ali Khaled, said on Monday.

Sanaa Seif was reprimanded at two press conferences by government participants, who told her that her brother is a “criminal” and not a “political prisoner”.

Egypt tried to improve its image by hosting the climate change conference, but was criticized during the event for its human rights policy.

A German diplomatic source said a complaint was made to Egypt because the delegation “felt they were being watched”.

Liane Schalatek, from the Heinrich Boll Stiftung, said she felt “observed” and “clearly more uncomfortable than at any previous COP”.

Schalatek, a climate finance expert who has attended these UN meetings since 2008, said there were cameras in the meeting rooms in Sharm el-Sheikh, aimed at participants' faces.

“It is both unnecessary and unusual for internal coordination meetings,” he said. “And the possibility that everything is being recorded cannot be ruled out,” he added.

Human Rights Watch has previously condemned Egypt's “total surveillance” policy, which included installing cameras in hundreds of taxis in Sharm el-Sheikh.

The New York-based group also warned that the COP27 smartphone app raises suspicions of “surveillance” as it requires access to the device's camera, microphone and geolocation.

(With AFP)