Sisi inaugurates 14th Biological Diversity Conference

SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt - 17 November 2018: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi is set to officially inaugurate the 14th UN Biological Diversity Conference (COP 14) Saturday from the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, said Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi.

The conference is scheduled to last for four days; it was preceded by several African ministerial meetings that discussed its work plans.

According to Radi's statement, Egypt is the first Arab and African country to host that conference. "The event is the biggest international conference in the field of preserving ecological and biological diversity," read the statement.

The conference is important for enhancing cooperation and partnership for boosting awareness about the importance of biological diversity, added the spokesman.

The Conference on Biological Diversity, chaired by Egypt, is one of the largest United Nations conferences.

During the conference, Egypt is set to launch an initiative to promote the use of ecosystems, to better handle the shortage in biodiversity, climate change and land degradation.

In the same context, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification Monique Barbut said in her speech that ecological crises are linked to food security.

She warned of the bad impact of climate change on a massive area of the world, pointing out that losing agricultural lands causes the loss of 3 percent from the gross domestic product in Africa.

Furthermore, Environment Minister Yasmine Fouad underlined the efforts exerted by Egypt to draw up roadmaps that go in harmony with the United Nations agreements.

MENA contributed to this report