COP29 demands colonial powers to cease ecological crimes

Representatives from territories under French and Dutch colonial rule demanded an end to the ecological crimes committed by colonial powers and an assessment of the extent of the damage inflicted on nature in these regions over many years of subjugation.

According to Report, they made these insights during the discussions, organized by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) themed "Eco-colonialism: The Environmental Legacy of Colonial and Neo-colonial Exploitation," within the framework of COP29.

At the event, the representatives of the peoples under the colonial rule of France and the Netherlands spoke in detail about the current situation in their countries.

Speakers strongly condemned the colonial powers' illegal exploitation of resources, deforestation, and land pollution in overseas territories. They highlighted the lingering ecological consequences of French nuclear tests in French Polynesia and France's failure to compensate the affected population.

In Guadeloupe, the use of chlordecone has severely polluted the environment and seriously harmed the health of the local population. The speakers also discussed the exploitation of nickel deposits in New Caledonia and the spread of various diseases due to the exploitation of Mayotte.

The speakers linked the more devastating effects of climate change in overseas territories to colonialism and demanded that France and the Netherlands meet the demands of indigenous peoples.

Photos: Vugar Khanlarov