Respect for human rights and diversity has been turned into a bargaining chip at Cop 25 in Madrid. During the negotiations at the United Nations conference, delegates from nearly 200 nations have deleted a series of references in several parts of the so-called "rulebook" — the text that is meant to ensure the concrete implementation of the Paris Agreement. This is despite the fact that associations, non-governmental organisations and civil society have been saying for years that the ecological transition and the fight against climate change cannot be separated from the protection of the poor, minorities and vulnerable communities.

What happens when a dam fails to respect local communities?

"Removing certain references to human rights will make everything more complicated," explains Chiara Soletti, policy advisor at the Italian climate network and expert on human rights and gender equality, "and will leave far more room for interpretation by governments. This risks slowing down climate action. Or pushing it forward but at enormous social cost. Just think of the case of large dams, which harness a renewable energy source — hydroelectric power — but often entail a failure to respect local communities, who bear the consequences of the upheaval caused to their territory."

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Women, in this regard, are often in a position of hardship around the world: "In far too many cases, their rights are not recognised. The right to property, to live independently, to autonomy. And all of this can be made worse by climate change, since it can bring numerous problems to local communities — due to a lack of infrastructure, for example, or to water supply issues. Just as with the elderly, people with disabilities, children and ethnic minorities, women must be protected."

What fate awaits the Gap, the Gender action plan

This is why Cop 25 is also discussing the Gender action plan (Gap): "And so far it has gone really badly," Soletti continues. "The version of the text we had when we arrived in Madrid was a text that could be improved, certainly, but a good one nonetheless. During the negotiations, however, the discussion shifted to the question of funding: in particular, African nations asked to be able to introduce the possibility of accessing the Green climate fund to finance projects linked to the Gap. This proposal was rejected by the United States and the European Union, who argued that this was not the right context in which to discuss funding. At that point, a deadlock set in."

The decision on this point now rests with the Chilean presidency of Cop 25: "It could ask negotiators to return to the issue before the conference ends, though that is unlikely given the tight schedule. Otherwise, the whole matter could be deferred to the next session in June, in Bonn. And, painful as it is to say, from the NGOs' point of view that might be the lesser evil, since the situation is so complex that it risks derailing the Gap entirely. The steps backwards, on numerous fronts, have been colossal."

Pressure on governments must be stepped up

What needs to happen, therefore, in the final days of Cop 25, is to multiply the pressure on states' representatives: "All we can do is get the message across that a 'watered-down' Gap is problematic, but even more damaging would be to have no programme dedicated to women's rights at all. That would send an extremely negative message to the international community, especially ahead of the celebrations in 2020 marking the 25th anniversary of the adoption of the Beijing Declaration, the first international treaty on women's rights."