UNEA 5.2 Green Tent Event: Protecting Earth Protectors

         How to ensure that environmental defenders can play their role freely and safely

28 February 2022

The EEB, in collaboration with Global Witness, Earthworks, Reaccion Climatica (Bolivia), PHE Consortium (Ethiopia), Norwegian Forum for Environment and Development, NGO Major Group, and Women Major Group are glad to invite you to the UNEA 5.2 Green Tent Event on Protecting Earth Protectors on 28th February at 15:30 – 16:45 GMT + 3 Nairobi.

Environmental defenders are increasingly under threat in many places around the world. Individuals and groups who strive to protect the environment and to defend human rights relating to the environment are regularly harassed and silenced, subjected to intimidation lawsuits, restricted by repressive regulation and orders, arrested, attacked and even killed. In its latest report, Global Witness documented the killing of 227 land and environmental activists in 2020 for defending their land and the planet, the highest number ever recorded.

The UN Environment Assembly (UNEA 5.2) focusses on strengthening action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Environmental defenders address the worsening of the climate crisis, resist ever expanding resource extraction and exploitation and seek to protect frontline communities from deforestation, land grabbing and pollution linked to mining, dams, logging, large-scale agribusiness and other industrial activities. They fight for long-term sustainability for communities against short-term profits for a few. This makes them crucial actors in realising the core principles of the 2030 Agenda.

This Green Tent event strives to raise awareness of government representatives and civil society gathering at and around UNEA 5.2 on how increasing pressures on environmental defenders threaten peace, human rights and environmental protection and limit our opportunities to achieve long-term sustainability. The event takes stock and gives space to experiences from different world regions. It discusses with experts from around the globe which measures are needed to ensure that environmental defenders can play their roles freely and safely.

Access to the webinar, as well as further information and the draft programme for the event can be found here.