COP28 Host UAE Allows Limited Protests and Criticism

Critics argue the move is an attempt to improve the nation's international image without substantial changes to its restrictions on free speech and assembly.

• United Arab Emirates (UAE), the host of the ongoing COP28 climate talks, has allowed limited public protests and criticism within the summit, a rare occurrence in the autocratic nation.
• Human rights researchers from organizations previously banned by the UAE have been allowed to attend the conference and offer criticism, marking the first such opportunity in about a decade.
• Despite the allowance for limited protests, critics argue that the UAE is using COP28 to improve its international image without making substantial changes to its restrictions on free speech and assembly.
• Concerns remain about the safety of activists and members of civil society, particularly those who may wish to protest outside the designated conference area or on sensitive political issues.
• The loosened rules for COP28 have also extended to allowing in people the Emiratis otherwise may not have, including human rights experts previously barred from entering the country.

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