Human rights issue overshadows COP27 meeting

By Nathan Morley

On Friday, US President Joe Biden delivered a tough address to the COP27 climate summit, mixing grim warnings on the fate of the planet with promises to lead and fund the fight against climate change.

"The climate crisis is about human security, economic security, environmental security, national security, and the very life of the planet," Biden stated.

Human rights and climate change

Before his speech, Biden met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi to discuss human rights and climate change.

Pressure is growing on Egypt to free prominent British-Egyptian activist Alaa Abdel Fattah who this week stopped taking liquids after seven months of a partial hunger strike.

In response, Sisi said his government had adopted a strategy for human rights, adding a presidential committee had been given the task of reviewing the cases of government critics held in pre-trial detention.

On Saturday, a large group of protesters at the summit chanted slogans like "no climate justice without human rights."

Now, the first week in Sharm El Sheikh is almost over – there will be a break on Sunday, before the summit resumes next week.