Last month, the European Council proclaimed itself as “the global leader in climate action”. The November 13 EU Foreign Ministers meeting with COP28 President Sultan Al-Jaber of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where the global climate conference is set to begin later this month, is the first real test of that claim.

In a letter to EU foreign ministers ahead of their meeting with Al-Jaber, Human Rights Watch urged them to call on the UAE to end its repression of independent civil society, release imprisoned human rights defenders, including Ahmed Mansoor, and ensure governments at COP28 commit to a full, equitable, and rights-respecting phase out of all fossil fuels.

Read more: hrw.org

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