Africa counting on Egypt’s COP27 presidency to advance continent’s climate interests: AU commissioner

CAIRO - 22 September 2022: Africa is counting on the Egyptian presidency of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) to advance the interests of the continent regarding climate issues, African Union’s Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture Josefa Sacko said on Thursday.

Sacko’s remarks came in a meeting with Ambassador Mohamed Gad, Egypt’s ambassador to Addis Ababa and permanent representative to the AU, a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry said.

During the meeting, Sacko hailed the ongoing preparations by the upcoming Egyptian presidency for COP27 on behalf of the African continent, describing them as unprecedented.

She also praised the ongoing cooperation with the Egyptian mission in Addis Ababa in organizing a series of monthly events since the last AU Summit entitled “Africa Climate Talks: Road to COP27” to highlight the priorities of the continent during the upcoming climate conference.

This particularly includes the issues of climate adaptation, financing, losses and damages and the transition from the stage of climate pledges to actual implementation, the statement said.

 

Egypt is preparing to host COP27 between 6 and 18 November and has been keen to build on the success of Glasgow summit (COP26) in a bid to turn climate pledges into actions.

The African country has repeatedly affirmed that it will speak for Africa’s aspirations regarding the climate file, with African countries being the most affected with climate change impacts despite being a small contributor to these effects.

The Egyptian presidency of COP27 will adopt a clear approach to implement the Paris Agreement at an accelerated pace by addressing the gaps and deficiencies in the global system dealing with climate change, Shoukry announce earlier in September.

During the International Cooperation Forum (ICF) 2022 in the Administrative Capital, Shoukry said COP27 will also enhance trust amongst all parties as each state implements the Paris Agreement.

The geopolitical crisis that has resulted from the Russian-Ukrainian conflict includes global soaring prices of energy, food, and interest rates, Shoukry said.

IFC was held by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of International Cooperation only a couple of months ahead of COP27 to connect the two conferences as Egypt believes that all institutions, including international financial institutions and multilateral development banks, must cooperate for successful climate action, he added.