#GretaThunberg Won't Attend #UNClimateTalks in 'Yet Another #Authoritarian #PetrolState'
"We can't legitimize #COP meetings in their current form," Thunberg said. "The last three years, they've taken place in authoritarian regimes, and holding them in such places leads nowhere."
by Olivia Rosane
Nov 05, 2024
"Thunberg expressed concerns about #Azerbaijan's record of stifling internal #dissent as well as its ethnic cleansing of Armenians. The U.N. summit comes a little over a year after Azerbaijani forces entered the disputed, ethnic #Armenian-controlled territory of #NagornoKarabakh, prompting most ethnic Armenians in the area to flee across the border to Armenia. Armenia told the International Court of Justice in April that Azerbaijan had 'completed' #EthnicCleansing in the territory and was 'erasing all traces of ethnic Armenians' presence' there.
"At the same time, Thunberg added her voice to the many #environmental advocates who have called out Azerbaijan for planning to expand its #FossilFuel production. Azerbaijan's selection was especially controversial because it came on the heels of the #UnitedArabEmirates' hosting of #COP28, which also prompted backlash due to the country's #HumanRights record and reliance on #OilAndGas. Both COPs also came under fire for selecting presidents with close ties to state-run oil companies.
"'It is a slap in the face to all the people who are suffering from the #ClimateEmergency and from the repression and oppression of the Azerbaijani regime,' Thunberg said."