On October, 7 expert of our Association Dr. Borys Babin took part in discussion on side-event “Climate Security in the Context of the Russian Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine — Impacts on Environment and Human Rights”, convened by “Crude Accountability”, as NGO, incorporated in 2003 to protect the Caspian Sea’s natural environment and to ensure, that the environmental and human rights of communities, impacted by natural resource development, are respected.
Side-event focused on the connections among climate justice, human rights, security, and the environment in the OSCE region as war rages and the climate crisis intensifies. Among the issues discussed in this side event, the Russian “Shadow fleet”; Russia’s threats to the climate, local environment, and the sanctions regimes were main topics.
Speakers stressed that continued operation of Russia’s oil export industry, especially after the Russian broad-scale aggression against Ukraine began, presents a three-pronged attack on the OSCE’s first dimension and does so through the involvement of OSCE participating states.
The environmental threat of ship-to-ship transfers, and the relevant threat to the climate, also as challenges to maritime safety and security were stressed in a report of “Crude Accountability” co-founder and executive director Kate Watters.
Expert added on serious risks of oil pollution, also on violations of crew members’ rights and frauds with Russia’s maritime classification societies in so-called “Shadow fleet” activities, she stressed also on duty to create NGOs’ monitoring system for Russian oil transfer, including aspects of price and origin.
Dr. Watters exchanged opinions with Dr. Babin on sanction policy issues, including issues of counternaction to Russia’s insurance structures and classification societies, also as regarding sanctions against Russian oil fleet’s beneficiaries and Europe shipowners’ opinion, stressed this September at Gdynia conference.
In the framework of this dialogue John Kinahan, assistant editor of “Forum 18” from Norway, proposed to pay more attention to activities of independent maritime trade unions and ILO regarding countering violations, committed by vessels of Russia’s “Shadow fleet”, also as for cooperation with other maritime associations.
Also Dr. Babin shared our Association’s experience of participations in UN Conferences on Climate Change (COP 27 and COP 28) last years and raised issue of participation modalities in COP 29, to be held in Baku this November, regarding framework of ongoing calls from some NGOs to boycott that event for “petrocracy and human rights violations”.
Event participants shared various opinions on that issue; among others they pointed, that even if boycott will be chosen by some key NGOs, somebody should present that position on events of COP 29; also it was stressed, that COP 29 is an only possibility for many NGOs from Asian states for mentioning their real problems and challenges, including “climate voices from Central Asia”.
