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The upcoming Bonn Climate Change Conference, scheduled from 8 to 18 June 2026, faces significant disruptions as several of the world’s poorest nations struggle to secure visas for their delegates. This situation threatens the representation of countries that are already among the most adversely affected by climate change, limiting their ability to participate in crucial discussions regarding global climate policy.
Visa Obstacles Hinder Delegations
Representatives from nations such as Sudan, Yemen, Sierra Leone, Senegal, and The Gambia have expressed their frustrations regarding the visa application process ahead of the critical UN climate discussions in Germany. Many of these countries, which are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, have reported significant difficulties in sending adequate delegations to Bonn.
Dalal Ebrahim, who heads the climate adaptation department for Sudan, voiced her country’s distress over the visa barriers, stating, “The majority of the delegation, including the head of delegation, have received visa refusals.” She further highlighted the logistical challenges faced by her team, who struggled to secure appointments at German embassies outside of Sudan.
Similarly, Marwah Aref Ahmed Saleh, representing Yemen in discussions related to climate losses and damages, has encountered repeated visa rejections despite being sponsored by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), a British think tank. “The situation is compounded by the fact that travel from Yemen is already extremely difficult,” she explained, noting that only two members from Yemen’s delegation managed to make it to Germany.
Impact on Climate Negotiations
The Bonn Climate Change Conference serves as a pivotal platform for technical discussions around climate policy and is a precursor to the COP31 conference scheduled for November in Anatolya, Turkey. Delegates from nearly 200 countries gather to assess progress on the Paris Agreement, a key framework for global climate action. However, the reduced representation of nations that are most affected by climate change could severely undermine their influence in shaping the global climate agenda.
Marwah explained that with only a handful of delegates, Yemen’s ability to engage in multiple negotiation tracks is severely compromised. “Under normal circumstances, a larger delegation would have participated, allowing us to cover multiple negotiation tracks simultaneously,” she lamented. The implications of diminished representation are profound, particularly for countries grappling with the intersecting crises of climate change and conflict.
Calls for Greater Inclusivity
Both Sudan and Yemen’s representatives emphasised the necessity of incorporating their unique challenges into climate discussions. Ebrahim stated, “Sudan’s realities, including climate vulnerability, conflict, displacement, food insecurity, and limited institutional capacity, must be part of the discussions.” She warned that visa barriers should not serve to silence nations that are critical to the climate dialogue, insisting that “climate diplomacy cannot be credible if the countries at the centre of the climate crisis are spoken about, but not heard.”
In response to the concerns raised by these vulnerable nations, a spokesperson for the German Federal Foreign Office acknowledged the importance of including all accredited delegates, particularly from those most impacted by climate change. However, they also indicated that visa issuance is governed by stringent Schengen laws, which dictate the criteria for assessing applicants’ intentions to return to their home countries.
The UN Climate Change representatives echoed this sentiment, noting that while accreditation for all countries had been granted, the final decision on visa issuance lies with the host nation’s authorities.
A Broader Perspective on Climate Diplomacy
Binyam Gebreyes, a climate diplomacy expert at IIED, underscored the implications of excluding negotiators from the least developed countries. He stated, “Physically excluding [Least Developed Country] negotiators from the Bonn talks gives the impression their contributions and experiences don’t matter to the rest of the world.” This exclusion not only diminishes their voices but also risks reinforcing existing inequalities in global climate governance.
Why it Matters
The exclusion of delegations from the most climate-vulnerable countries at pivotal UN negotiations highlights systemic barriers that persist within international climate diplomacy. As these nations face the brunt of climate impacts while possessing limited resources to adapt, their absence from discussions could lead to policies that overlook their specific needs and challenges. This situation serves as a stark reminder that effective climate action must prioritise inclusivity and equity, ensuring that all voices are heard in the fight against climate change.
