Date: 20 December Time: 6PM CET/12PM ET/9PM GST Interpretation: French confirmed. Arabic and Spanish available upon request by 17 December. Moderator: Katrin Geyer, WILPF Speakers: Rula Asad, Syrian Female Journalist Network; Olla Alsakkaf, WILPF Yemen; Nesmah Mansour, Peace Track Initiative; Michelle Benzing, WILPF.

BACKGROUND: COP28 has been a COP of many firsts. It is the first COP that finally has recognised that fossil fuels are the root cause of the climate crisis, and that the world needs to “transition away” from them. It is also the first COP that had a thematic day of peace as part of the “Health, Relief, Recovery, and Peace” Day on 3 December, and COP28 saw unprecedented and persistent calls by the climate justice movement for peace and demilitarisation, with a genocide underway just a few thousand kilometres from the world’s largest climate summit.

While some are touting COP28’s outcome as “historic,” and “the beginning of the end of fossil fuels,” the agreements open the door to dangerous distractions such as carbon capture and storage, nuclear energy, and other false and neo-colonial solutions and loopholes.

The failure to agree to a phase-out of fossil fuels also means a continued free ride for fossil-fuel powered militarisation.

WILPF participated at COP28 with a delegation of five feminist peace activists– and worked hard to put the topic of demilitarisation and peace on the agenda of COP28.

Join us for this one-hour webinar, where delegates will reflect on the achievements and challenges in centering calls for demilitarisation for gender and climate justice at COP28.