This morning a group of youth climate activists attending the UNFCCC negotiations in Barcelona stood in solitary with actions in over 18 developing countries including Bangladesh, Benin, Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Mexico, India, Nepal, and Nigeria to name just a few. Community groups from these regions converged on local Saudi Arabian embassy’s delivering letters and holding protests to call for Saudi Arabia to stop obstructing progress and support the position of developing nations in the negotiations, rather than stymie them.
In just the last few days in Barcelona, Saudi Arabia has managed to undermine and block consensus several key issues that are important for developing countries. They tried to remove language that would specifically support poor and vulnerable countries; they delayed progress on adaptation discussions; they were the only country to block consensus on having an additional negotiations session; and they even were the only country that said that there is no need to agree on a numerical global goal for emission reduction.
Indyact the coordinator of the embassy actions, has had pictures coming in from around the world. We wanted to get those pictures into the hands of Saudi Arabia decision makers hear in Barcelona, as well as support the delivery of a letter from Middle East climate activists. In order to deliver the photos and present the letter, a group of youth climate activists birddogged the lead Saudi Negotiator Mohammad Al Sabban (take a look at who he works for, no surprise) on his way to a morning meeting of G77 countries (short video). Unfurling a banner behind him reading “Saudi Arabia, Stop harming Poor Nations” the letter was presented and concerns voiced. Just as Sabben realized what happened he rushed away to the security gates. Unfortunately for him he had to wait in the line of negotiators that had formed outside and we were happy to keep him company with the banner highlighting his oil driven negotiations, in front of his colleagues,
Concern has been running high as many of Saudi Arabia’s actions at these negotiations make it clear that the intention is to weaken the positions of G77 countries, a group they are a part of. If Saudi Arabia continues to undermine the collective will of the G77 and block consensus on several key issues voiced by the poorest and most vulnerable countries of the G77 these negotiations will continue to get difficult, and actions will get bigger.
You can learn more on Saudi Arabia actions at indyact.org
