UN Demands Tighter COP30 Security After Blue Zone Breach as Brazil Expands Perimeters

Overview

• After a Nov. 11 attempt by protesters and Indigenous participants to enter the Blue Zone, entrances were closed and two security guards were injured.
• UN climate chief Simon Stiell wrote to Brazilian authorities detailing what he called serious security failures, including weak perimeters, insufficient staffing and a lack of action as demonstrators advanced.
• The letter also flagged heat, broken or missing air-conditioning, leaks from rain and bathroom malfunctions, while the UN said a request to disperse nearby protests was not executed by federal police.
• Brazil’s Casa Civil said it met UN requests by expanding Red and Orange perimeters, installing metal barriers and railings, and deploying joint Força Nacional–Federal Police teams in the Green Zone, with Army support added to the Blue Zone.
• Organizers installed additional AC units and repaired gutter failures that caused leaks, as Indigenous groups continued to press for representation and climate finance, with some leaders gaining access to restricted areas after public pressure.