If you are planning to travel to Egypt between now and mid-November, you have a lot to be concerned about. From November 6 to 18, 2022, the UN Climate Change Conference of Parties, COP27, will be held in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. This event will bring together heads of state, ministers, negotiators, activists, CEOs, and many others to discuss climate change topics such as urgently reducing greenhouse gas emissions, building resilience, adapting to climate change impacts, and delivering on commitments to finance action.
With high profile events like this whose attendees are influential persons within their respective governments and organizations, and where a controversial topic is guaranteed to attract supporters and opponents, the government of Egypt will undoubtedly increase security measures to counter the increased threats. For a country that was assessed in July 2022 by the US State Department as having a critical terrorism threat environment and a high political violence & civil unrest threat environment, the presence of so many high profie individuals to discuss a this global issue is sure to attract adversaries that will exploit vulnerabilities and attempt to try to make the biggest impact possible.
The Human Rights Watch has already raised concerns about the COP27 because of significant human rights issues in Egypt such as restrictions on free expression, forced disappearances, political prisoners, and harsh/life threatening prison conditions, just to name a few.
There will be increased security presence to protect the attendees and facilities, as well as to prevent terrorist activities like acitve shooters or other attacks that could result in catastrophic consequences. More than likely, security will not take chances. If something is perceived as a threat, even if a person is unknowingly acting in the perceived threatening manner, the probability of being, at the very least, detained and questioned by Egyptian security services is extremely high. In a country with a negative history of their treatment of prisoners and detainees, I believe the environment surrounding the conference will severely increase the risk for anyone traveling to Egypt during this time.
What should you do?
Your decision on whether or not to travel to Egypt in November is a personal choice that no one else can make for you. However, before you make your decision, I implore you to please assess your personal travel risk first to see if there is anything in your life that would further increase your chances of being targeted during this time of heightened security, and weigh that against the reason for your trip. If you decide that the purpose of your travel is worth the risk, please make sure you take every available step to prepare, prevent, and minimize as many risks as you can before your departure.
Ask Yourself…
What about you could be viewed by an adversary as a reason to target or threaten you?
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