COP26: Israeli minister excluded from summit for whole day due to wheelchair inaccessibility
Israel's energy minister has said she was unable to attend the United Nations' COP26 summit in Glasgow for an entire day because it was not accessible by wheelchair.
On Monday, the first day of the conference, Karine Elharrar criticised the UN for promoting disability equality while failing to "provide accessibility to its events".
Ms Elharrar reportedly told Israel's Channel 12 she couldn't access the conference because her only options were to walk or take a shuttle not suitable for a wheelchair.
Israel's foreign minister Yair Lapid supported his colleague on Twitter.
"A note to the organisers of #COP26 in Glasgow: it is impossible to safeguard our future and address the climate crisis, without first and foremost caring for people, including ensuring accessibility for people with disabilities," he said.
Subsequently, the British ambassador to Israel, Neil Wigan, apologised to Ms Elharrar.
"I am disturbed to hear that Karine Elharrar was unable to attend meetings at COP26. I apologise deeply and sincerely to the minister. We want a COP Summit that is welcoming and inclusive to everyone," Wigan wrote on Twitter.
The COP27 climate conference - what you need to know
What is COP27? When and where will it be?
What is COP27? When and where will it be?
Each year, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) meets at what is called the Conference of the Parties (abbreviated as COP) to discuss the world's progress on climate change and how to tackle it.
COP27 is the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties summit which will be held in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt from November 6-18.
Who is going?
Who is going?
Leaders of the 197 countries that signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) - a treaty that came into force in 1994 - are invited to the summit.
These are some of the world leaders that will be attending COP27:
UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is attending the conference, after initially saying he wouldn't as he was too busy focusing on the economy within his first weeks in office.
US President Joe Biden and his experienced climate envoy, John Kerry, will appear at the talks.
France President Emmanuel Macron will also be among the heads of state from around the world staying in Egypt.
King Charles III will not be attending COP27, despite being a staunch advocate for the environment. The decision was made jointly by Buckingham Palace and former prime minister Liz Truss.
Elsewhere, Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will not attend the talks just as they decided to do for COP26.
What is it hoping to achieve?
What is it hoping to achieve?
1. Ensure full implementation of the Paris Agreement and putting negotiations into concrete actions - included within this is the target of limiting global warming to well below 2C.
2. Cementing progress on the critical workstreams of mitigation, adaptation, finance and loss and damage, while stepping up finance notably to tackle the impacts of climate change.
3. Enhancing the delivery of the principles of transparency and accountability throughout the UN Climate Change process.
Britain's Middle East minister also weighed in, saying he was "deeply disappointed and frustrated" that the venue wasn't accessible.
James Cleverly added: "The COP venue is designed to be accessible for all. I have spoken to the Minister about this and I look forward to meeting her tomorrow."
Ms Elharrar said she hoped a solution would be found by Tuesday.
On the second day of the conference, more than 100 world leaders will sign up to a landmark agreement to protect and restore the Earth’s forests, the UK government has said. Leaders covering 85% of the world’s forests will commit to halt and reverse deforestation and land degradation by 2030.