November 20, 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United Arab Emirates has invited Syrian Dictator Bashar Al-Assad to the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28), which it is hosting on November 30. The implications of this decision are deeply troubling, as it welcomes a leader with an outstanding arrest warrant and a well-documented history of complicity in crimes against humanity and war crimes.
If Al-Assad attends COP28, it would mark his first appearance at a global conference since before the outbreak of the Syrian revolution in 2011. This move by the UAE to extend a welcoming hand to a leader responsible for widespread atrocities raises serious questions about the commitment of the UAE to human rights and environmental justice.
The environmental issues in Syria are closely linked to the regime’s widespread use of internationally banned weapons, including chemical weapons. The Assad regime’s past and ongoing attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure have not only created a devastating humanitarian crisis but also an environmental crisis— including deforestation, oil spills, acid rain, and significant health problems for Syrians.
“States must not permit the UAE to assist Assad to be resurrected on the international stage through this ‘greenwashing’ exercise. States should rather ensure that COP28 addresses Syria’s gross environmental violations,” former International Criminal Court judge Sir Howard Morrison KC said in a recent report.
In his report, Sir Howard set out the primary responsibility of Assad and his armed forces in Syria’s environmental crisis, such as the use of explosive weapons and the destruction of cities, attacks on the oil industry, damage to water supply and sanitation systems, damage to waste management systems, and conflict-related deforestation.
Despite the mounting evidence of egregious violations by Assad and his forces, Arab countries, spearheaded by the UAE, have rushed to normalize ties with Assad by readmitting his regime back into the Arab League on May 7, 2023, without demanding accountability for 12 years of mass human rights violations.
In November, France issued an unprecedented arrest warrant for Al-Assad over the use of banned chemical weapons against civilians in Syria. UAE’s invitation clearly undermines international justice and accountability efforts.
As COP28 host, the UAE is using this opportunity to assist in bringing a world-class war criminal back to the international stage. This shameful move fails every victim and survivor of Assad’s chemical attacks, bombing campaigns, arbitrary detention, mass displacement, and enforced disappearance.
“Instead of COP28 being a platform for Assad to seek to cleanse his inexcusable wrongs, it should be a time to expose the truth and seek accountability and remedial action,” said Sir Howard.
All states dedicated to human rights and environmental justice must take all diplomatic measures to ensure that Bashar Al-Assad’s invitation to COP28 is rescinded and serious crimes committed under his rule are investigated and prosecuted.