High-level segments of COP-22 begin
Hasina among world
leaders joining confce
UNB
The high-level segments of the Conference of the Parties (COP-22) began in Morocco yesterday, aiming to address the growing climate change impacts jeopardising the environment and livelihood of people across the globe, reports UNB. Heads of state, government and many ministers of different countries are participating in the conference. The top leaders from various nations will present their countries position papers and put forward suggestions to tackle the growing climate change impacts, mainly caused by greenhouse emissions by developed countries during the high-level segments. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, now on a three-day official tour to attend the conference, joined the inaugural session of its high-level segments, also with other heads of state and government at Bab Ighli.
The COP22 will be the first chance to explore and expand the historic climate agreement signed in Paris during the COP21. After the inaugural session, Sheikh Hasina, along with other heads of state and government, join a lunch hosted by King of Morocco His Majesty Mohammed VI at the Royal Palace in Marrakech. Later in the day, Sheikh Hasina will deliver her statement at the high-level segments of COP-22 at the same venue where she may highlight Bangladeshs position to address the climate challenges and urge global
leaders to intensify the national and collective efforts to address this huge challenge. Earlier, Moroccan King His Majesty Mohammed VI, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, COP 22 President and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Morocco Salaheddine Mezouar and Executive Secretary of United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Patricia Espinosa, received the heads of state and government at the conference venue. They also delivered their statements at the inaugural session. Heads of state and government from 80 countries and senior ministers from 115 countries, including Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Jaber AL Sabah, French President Franois Hollande, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, Senegalese President Macky Sall, President of Chile Michelle Bachelet, President of Djibouti Ismail Omar Guelleh, President of Ivorycoast Alassane Ouattare, President of Macedonia Gjorge Ivanov, President of Nigeria Muhammadu Buhari, President of Gabon Ali Bongo Oddimba, President of Liberia Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Iraq Mohammed Fuad Madum, President of Sudan Omar Hassan Ahmad Al Bachir, Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed, Palesianian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah are, among others, participating in the conference.
The COP-22, which began on November 7 and will run through November 18 in Bab Ighli of Marrakech, Morocco, is the first such meeting since the historic adoption of the Paris Agreement at COP-21 in December last year.Meanwhile, the primary discussion of the COP22 formally concluded on Saturday with climate experts stressing turning ambitions into actions and achieving the goals of the Paris Agreement. The primary discussion also focused on negotiating key elements, such as, scaling up the technical, financial and capacity building support that will facilitate actions at the country level.
In December 2015, over 190 countries convened in France to adopt the Paris Agreement on climate change at the 21st Conference of the Parties (or COP21). This Agreement was the culmination of years of hard works by countries, UN agencies, scientists, the private sector and civil society, and represented a long-term vision for a zero-carbon, resilient and sustainable world. At different meetings on the sidelines of the conference, global civil society leaders called for new political policy regimes to protect and promote the human rights of climate-induced displaced people. The experts gave references to several studies from Africa and narrated how the displacement is increasing and the situation is getting complicated due to development projects. Earlier on Monday, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina arrived here at Menara Airport, Marrakech at 4.45 pm (local time) on a three-day official visit to attend the COP-22. Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali, Environment and Forests Minister Anwar Hossain Manju, Water Resources Minister Barrister Anisul Islam Mahmud are accompanying the Prime Minister.
