Report about an update on the progress of COP26 on the 25th and 26th of July. Edited and commented by Ruth A. Richardson, Member of the Liberal International Climate Justice Committee

Democrats and human rights defenders around the world are outraged that, on Friday 6 August, the regime of Daniel Ortega in Nicaragua has dissolved the main opposition party, Citizens for Freedom, and stripped its leader, Liberal International Vice President Kitty Monterrey, of her Nicaraguan citizenship.

LI’s  Climate Justice Committee met on 4 August 2021 for its regular administrative meeting, finalising its long-standing work on a draft chapter on Liberal Climate Justice Principles. The comprehensive documents is first of its kind for the committee and the LI network, and establishes a strong basis for crucial and forward-looking policy recommendations in the field of Climate Justice, relevant for the whole world.

Meeting virtually on a monthly basis virtually, the bureau of Liberal International set out during it’s last bureau’s meeting, its objectives for the coming months. The bureau marked the historic partnership between Liberal International’s human rights and climate justice committees and the ALDE Party Group in the Parliamentary Assembly in the Council of Europe, which is set to launch a new campaign to promote climate as a human rights issue with the objective to introduce the rights to safe environment in the human right convention.

On 21 July 2021, the NLC Sustainability Forum in collaboration with the Paddy Ashdown Forum hosted a hybrid event at the National Liberal Club, London with Liberal Democrats (Lib Dems) leader, Sir Ed Davey and Liberal International (LI) President, Dr Hakima el Haité on ‘What Makes a Good COP’.

In a video statement delivered by Red Liberal de América Latina - Relial President Bertha Pantoja, the bureau of Liberal International expressed alarm at the escalation in authoritarian actions by Daniel Ortega's government ahead of the November elections in Nicaragua.

Liberal International calls for the immediate release of Alexei Pichugin. With both great sadness and anger, the Human Rights Committee of Liberal International notes how time and time again, Russia continues to violate the rule of law and deprive many persons of their legal rights according to the European Conventions and decisions. It is estimated that there are around 400 political prisoners in Russia, including historian Yuri Dmitriyev, whose life is in danger, Alexeyi Navalny, and many others who have expressed dissenting opinions.

Liberal International are excited to announce a new piece of work that will focus on finding the missing link between Human Rights and the Environment, initiated by LI’s President, Dr Hakima El Haité, and our Climate Justice Committee.

Liberal International’s (LI) Bureau and Climate Justice Committee express our condolences to the victims of the devastating floods in Europe and China, and raging wildfires in North America, and show solidarity with all those who have suffered in the neighbouring regions.

To mark the occasion of Pride Month in June, the LI Human Rights Committee (LI HRC) called upon nations to increase LGBTQI+ visibility and participation in political decision-making bodies at the 47th assembly of the United Nations Human Rights Council.

In September 2020, participants from around the globe tuned in to listen to the first expert lead session in the Climate Justice Impact Series focusing on migration. The project, implemented jointly between Liberal International, its Climate Justice Committee and D66 International (LI full member party, the Netherlands), was aimed at raising awareness of the growing issue of human mobility linked to climate.