"Women’s groups oppose Poland’s plan to suppress civil society at COP24", 15 Nov 2018

Women’s groups in the Asia-Pacific region are deeply concerned about legislation passed by the government of Poland that aims to prevent any “spontaneous” public gathering of climate groups during COP24 in the city of Katowice early next month and subject human-rights defenders to state-led surveillance, including accessing and storing all personal information...

The legislation initiated by the government of Poland sets a dangerous precedent that undermines human rights and fundamental freedoms, particularly the right to freedom of peaceful assembly, association and of speech, and the right to privacy in the context of digital technologies, multilateral process, and the role and importance of people’s organizations in fighting climate change.

Civil-society organizations from the Global South see this law as a deterrent to attending COP24...

Civil-society organizations demand that the Polish government repeal this legislation and give assurances that human rights will be protected at COP24, including the right to assemble. We remind the government of Poland to uphold its legal and human-rights obligations as set out in the European Convention of Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.