Egypt’s Minister of Environment heads to Canada to attend preparations for Conference of the Parties on Biodiversity

CAIRO – 17 August 2024: Egypt's Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad traveled to Montreal, Canada, to attend the "Endgame Facilitation" workshop for the preparations for the 16th session of the Conference of the Parties on Biodiversity (COP16), due to be held from August 18 to 19, the Egyptian Ministry of Environment said in a press release on Saturday.

During the workshop, Fouad will share her experience as the President of COP14 from 2018 to 2021 and Egypt’s role in preparing the draft global biodiversity framework beyond 2020. Fouad had previously joined the discussion with her Canadian counterpart in facilitating consultations on the global biodiversity framework during COP15.

The workshop will be attended by key figures, including Huang Runqiu, Minister of Environment of China and President of COP15; Xia Yingxian, Director of Climate Change in China; Maria Susana Muhamad, Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development in Colombia; Minister Marina Silva of Brazil; Minister Maisa Rojas of Chile; Minister Steven Guilbeault of Canada; and David Cooper, Acting Executive Secretary of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

In the statement, Fouad emphasized that the workshop aims to involve the past, present, and future COP presidencies—Egypt for COP14, China for COP15, and Colombia for COP16—in ensuring a successful facilitation of COP16 and its preparatory negotiations in 2024.

The workshop also focuses on clarifying negotiation strategies, preparing a report on negotiation management, and supporting Colombia, the next COP President, in leading transparent and inclusive negotiations.

Fouad noted the need for a well-defined role distribution and political leadership integration to ensure the success of COP16. The workshop also aimed to identify strategies for fostering agreement, creating a favorable negotiation climate, linking issues, managing the agenda, and preparing the final declaration.