Female delegates at the UN climate talks have come forward with allegations of bullying, abuse, and sexual harassment by male negotiators, casting a dark cloud over this year’s COP28 summit.
During the UN talks in Bonn, several instances were reported where female delegates faced intimidation and harassment from their male counterparts. This led to a letter of protest from two dozen countries expressing concerns about this abusive behavior.
Camila Zepeda, Mexico’s head of delegation, shared her experience of sexual harassment at COP27 in Egypt last year. She received inappropriate messages from a male delegate but did not report them at the time. Zepeda has now decided to speak out, highlighting the ongoing issue of harassment faced by women at the UN talks. “We need proactive measures to ensure everyone’s safety,” she said.
Additional cases of sexual harassment were formally reported at COP27, according to a person familiar with the events.
Since then, Mexico, the US, UK, Germany, Peru, and Canada, among two dozen other countries, have written a letter to the UN calling for action to create a “harassment-free environment” at the talks. The letter emphasizes the importance of treating women negotiators with respect and ensuring their safety both within and outside the negotiation rooms.
These allegations deal yet another blow to the UN climate talks, which will conclude this year at COP28 in the UAE. António Guterres, the UN secretary-general, recently warned that the process is being undermined by the vested interests of the oil and gas industry.
At the end of the Bonn conference, UN climate chief Simon Stiell acknowledged that inappropriate behavior had taken place during the session and made it clear that harassment in any form is not acceptable.
The UNFCCC is now considering whether changes need to be made to its code of conduct and whether new measures should be implemented before the COP28 climate summit in Dubai.
Approximately 8,000 people attended the talks in Bonn, which play a crucial role in shaping the discussion points for the main COP28 event.
A senior delegate stated, “People think they can say and act as they want. We deal with a situation where emotions are high, but that doesn’t give men permission to abuse women.”
The allegations include instances where women were belittled, talked over, and shouted at by their male counterparts during meetings in Germany.
A female negotiator from a G20 country identified a “culture problem” at the UN conferences, citing pervasive toxic alpha male behavior. She described the conferences as being aggressive, stating that men behaved worse in those environments, likening it to the wild west.
During a recorded stocktaking session in Bonn, speakers from Switzerland, the EU, and Australia acknowledged and condemned the reports of inappropriate and unacceptable behavior.
The UNFCCC declined to comment, while COP28 expressed confidence that the UNFCCC is taking the situation seriously and emphasized their zero tolerance for discrimination, racism, or harassment.
COP27 did not respond to a request for comment.
A respected delegate declared, “People believe they can say and do whatever they want. We are faced with a situation where emotions run high, but that does not give men the right to mistreat women.”
The allegations consist of women being undermined, interrupted, and shouted at by male counterparts during meetings at the talks in Germany.
A female negotiator from a prominent European country stated that there is a cultural issue at these UN conferences, as they are often plagued by toxic alpha male behavior. She described the environment as highly aggressive, where men’s behavior reaches its worst, comparable to the wild wild west.
During a stocktaking session in Bonn, representatives from Switzerland, the EU, and Australia acknowledged and denounced the reports of inappropriate and unacceptable behavior.
The UNFCCC declined to provide a comment, while COP28 expressed full confidence in the UNFCCC’s commitment to addressing the situation and reiterated their zero tolerance for any form of discrimination, racism, or harassment.
COP27 did not respond to the request for comment.
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