Egypt polishes the facade before the eyes of the world

Dissatisfaction bubbles and simmers since Egypt chose the plastic-hugging soft drink giant Coca-Cola as sponsor for the COP27 climate meeting.

But that is not the only criticism of the authoritarian state’s hosting – which is a chance for Egypt to step into the limelight.

It has been polished and swept to the last detail to transform the tourist resort of Sharm el-Sheikh into temporary headquarters for the world’s climate negotiations.

Shiny new buses are ready to hit the highways of the desert landscape and glittering solar panels managed by a company with links to the military are to be put into service in time for the opening of the UN COP27 conference on 6 November.

However, it is difficult for Egypt to clean up the criticism against the country being allowed to step into the limelight and host the meeting which aims to move from words to action in climate work.

The fact that Coca-Cola was selected as a sponsor has raised an outcry from environmental organizations – because the soft drink giant is one of the world’s largest producers of plastic, which is exclusively produced from climate-damaging fossil fuels.

Political prisoners

But the loudest criticism is directed at the country’s authoritarian features and lack of respect for human rights. Around 60,000 political prisoners are believed to be locked up and public demonstrations are banned under Abd al-Fattah al-Sisi’s rule.

However, Egyptian representatives have rejected the criticism and stress that activists will be allowed to protest during COP27. However, it may only take place in a specially designated place that is not directly adjacent to the conference room.

In Cairo, over a hundred people were recently arrested in connection with calls for protests during the climate meeting, according to Amnesty International, which warns that Egypt is using COP27 as a way to try to gain legitimacy and cover up its repressive habits.

– It is an authoritarian state. It can also be seen in the way they have organized and raked the arena for the meeting, says Rouzbeh Parsi, director of the UI’s Middle East and North Africa program, at a seminar before the summit.

– Various attempts have been made to make it more difficult for NGOs and others to participate, especially during the first key days when decision-makers are on site. But they also try to discourage Egyptian organizations that try to maintain some sort of independence from the state.

As a “war zone”

For a state that wants to quell inconvenient protests, Sharm el-Sheikh is the perfect choice.

Rows of luxury resorts are sandwiched between sea and mountains on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, far from the capital and without any central places where people can congregate in large groups. Sky-high hotel prices and visa hassles also force many activists and representatives of civil society to stay at home. And for those who do make it to the resort, a series of new surveillance and security measures await, such as military roadblocks, searches and cameras in taxis.

– The amount of police and military moving around the city today gives the impression that we are in a war zone, says gym owner Narges about the move to Middle East Eye.

For Egypt, there is prestige to be gained as the host country for COP27, according to Rouzbeh Parsi.

– Until they made peace with Israel, Egypt was the country that everyone in the Arab world saw as the leader and they saw themselves as the leader, he says.

– This can be seen as another step of many attempts on their part to crawl back to the forefront, where other countries that are more economically strong, such as Saudi Arabia, have taken over while Egypt has had its own problems.

African focus

COP27 is described as the African climate summit. Egypt has promised to shine a light on the difficult situation facing the continent and in particular raise the demands for compensation for climate-related losses and damage (“loss and damage”) that many vulnerable countries are making against the richer part of the world.

In recent decades, Egypt has taken measures to reduce its emissions, for example by greatly expanding the capacity for wind power. In addition, some investment has been made in adaptation, including by building desalination plants and infrastructure that will better withstand floods.

But the organization Climate Action Tracker is among those who condemn Egypt’s climate policy as insufficient. A major problem is the reliance on natural gas and other fossil fuels – which critics say could undermine Egyptian leadership at a time when the clock is ticking ever faster and the warning signals are ringing ever louder.

Facts

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