Afghan Cop26 delegate applications get rejected
The five men and the woman who fled the Taliban were not provided with an explanation for the rejection
Six environmental experts from Afghanistan, who were expected to attend the Cop26 global conference as representatives of their nation, have had their applications rejected.
The six individuals, whose names are being kept away from the media as a safety precaution, were set to attend the summit to discuss the climate emergency in Afghanistan.
According to the Guardian, they all have fled the Taliban. They were hiding out in neighbouring countries from where travelling to UK would be easier.
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No concrete reason for the rejection was disclosed.
Initially, it was assumed that either the Home Office or the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) were the ones behind the decision.
When asked by Guardian, the FCDO disclosed that the decision was not made by any UK government department.
A source explained that the UNFCCC secretariat will not be able to register delegates from Afghanistan to Cop26 without guidance from the Cop Bureau.
The news of the rejection was met with great disappointment among the six who had either previously worked in UN programs, the pre-Taliban government in Afghanistan, or national environmental bodies in their native country.
"We are very disappointed with this decision. We have met all the requirements for the visa but the UNFCCC secretariat rejected our nominations without giving us any proper reason – maybe due to the ongoing political situation in Afghanistan," said one of the delegates.
"By taking this action the UNFCCC secretariat stifled the voice of millions of Afghan victims of the adverse impact of climate change. Climate change does not respect borders.
They should not have mixed the environment with politics," stated another delegate.
Although Afghanistan is responsible for only 0.03% of global emissions, the country is still greatly impacted by the escalating climate crisis.
Before the applications were denied, the letter to the delegates from the UNFCCC secretariat asked UK's assistance to speed up their visa application process for the summit.
Later, they received a subsequent letter which stated, "We are glad to inform you that you have been nominated to attend UNFCCC session Cop26 on behalf of Afghanistan. However, your status at the moment is 'rejected'."
UNFCCC has not offered a statement explaining their decision to the Guardian as of this moment.
