What's Going On in Human Rights

As well as sharing about our society, events and current #LetsTalkAboutYes campaign, we want the Human Writes blog to be an accessible place to stay informed on wider Amnesty International work.

What’s Going On in Human Rights updates will give an overview of just some of the current human right exploitations that AI is tackling – this week, with a special focus on criticisms of November’s COP26 in Glasgow, as well as labour exploitation in Qatar, threats to Colombia’s activists and the 2021 Write for Rights campaign.

Climate crisis and COP26 failures

COP26 in Glasgow came to a close last week. After two weeks of negotiations, climate activists have criticised the conference for failing to deliver meaningful commitment to tackling the climate crisis and maintaining the global temperature rise at 1.5°C. While there was some promising rhetoric – with China and US vowing to boost cooperation and fossil fuels being mentioned in the declaration for the first time in COP’s history – world leaders fell short of producing the drastic real change that is urgently needed.

Following the conference, Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard released a statement: “Throughout their negotiations, our leaders have made choices that ignore, chip away or bargain away our rights as human beings, often discarding the most marginalised communities around the world as expendable collateral damage”

Why is climate change a human rights issue? The climate crisis is the world’s biggest threat, risking the existence of our planet. But even in less extreme outcomes, the climate crisis is a serious human rights issue because of its impact on a range of other rights, such as the right to health, food, water, housing and livelihoods. This year alone, the world witnessed the devastating effects of the global temperature rise from drought in sub-Saharan Africa, to wildfires in Greece and Siberia, to severe flooding in Germany and China, only to name a few. These environmental tragedies can be lethal. For those who survive, they are often left unable to work, with nowhere to live or no food to eat.

Amnesty International is also concerned about the extreme inequality that climate change exacerbates. While the crisis is affecting everyone on the planet, it discriminates between us. Communities that are more dependent on agricultural and coastal livelihoods are the hardest hit by environmental disasters. Inequality is also evident in the proposed solutions evident at COP26; commitments to carbon offsetting by the West risks Indigenous peoples and communities being evicted from their land, without adequate environmental and human rights protection measures.

Amnesty International is calling for the government to do everything they can to maintain the 1.5°C global temperature, reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero before 2050 and ensure that climate action does not violate human rights.

For more information on AI's climate activism, see the Stop burning our rights campaign.

Qatar: workers’ rights a year before the World Cup

Amnesty International is criticising Qatar for its inadequate labour force protection, ahead of hosting the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Despite legal changes in 2017, in reality, migrant workers continue to face exploitation, from wage theft and late payment to blocking job transfers. Most concerningly, AI understands that thousands of unexplained deaths over the past decade are due to disastrous working conditions.

Amnesty International calls on Qatar to properly implement the legal changes it set out in order to protect its two million migrant workers, on whom the economy depends. AI also expects FIFA to take responsibility for and act against human rights abuses connected to the 2022 tournament.

Human right defenders at risk in Colombia

Colombia is consistently ranked the most dangerous country for environmentalists and human rights defenders, with the highest number of killings in the world. The apparent protection in place is completely inadequate, with legal regulations that lack the means for implementation.

Human rights defender Jani Silva has been the victim of a multitude of threats for her activism throughout 2021. Despite the material protection she has been given by the National Protection Unit, these ineffective measures leave her still at considerable risk, recently having had to be forcibly displaced. When activists like Jani Silva are unable to freely stand up against human rights abuses, we are all worse off.

Amnesty International is calling urgently for a dialogue with the Colombian government to address the human rights crisis in the country.

Write for Rights

These are just three human rights issues that Amnesty International are currently tackling. If you’re interested in getting more involved, the 2021 Write for Rights campaign is a great way to do so. Through AI, millions of letters are being written in solidarity with individuals whose ‘rights have been wronged’. You can take action by writing to and demonstrating your support for these people at risk, or to the governments which are threatening their human rights.

Jani Silva, the Colombian environmental defender, praised the campaign: “From the bottom of my heart, this campaign has kept me alive, it’s what has stopped them from killing me because they know that you are there.”

We took part in this campaign in our society meeting on Thursday 25th November. If you would like support in writing your letters or posting them, feel free to get in touch through our socials, or come along to our weekly meetings, Thursdays 6pm-7pm in the Guild!