Egypt Wants to Shift Focus to Developing Countries in Climate Talks, Says Official

A picture taken on June 24, 2021 shows the Strawberry supermoon rising over buildings in the Egyptian capital Cairo. (AFP via Getty Images)
A picture taken on June 24, 2021 shows the Strawberry supermoon rising over buildings in the Egyptian capital Cairo. (AFP via Getty Images)
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Egypt Wants to Shift Focus to Developing Countries in Climate Talks, Says Official

A picture taken on June 24, 2021 shows the Strawberry supermoon rising over buildings in the Egyptian capital Cairo. (AFP via Getty Images)
A picture taken on June 24, 2021 shows the Strawberry supermoon rising over buildings in the Egyptian capital Cairo. (AFP via Getty Images)

Egypt will position itself as an impartial arbiter while hosting this year's COP27 UN climate summit, as it pushes other nations to act on climate pledges while promoting the interests of the developing world, a senior Egyptian official said.

Egypt would also welcome protests within the rules of the Nov. 7-18 summit in Sharm El-Sheikh, said Wael Aboulmagd, special representative to the COP27 president.

A natural gas exporter, Egypt takes over presidency of the UN climate talks from Britain. Last year's summit in Glasgow, Scotland, ended with the nearly 200 countries in attendance promising to strengthen their climate pledges this year.

Wealthy nations also disappointed many in Glasgow by saying they would not deliver the $100 billion per year promised from 2020 until 2023 to help developing countries with their energy transition and with adapting to a warming world.

Delivering this financing is among Egypt's priorities for COP27. It also wants to focus on securing separate "loss and damage" funds, or compensation payments to climate-vulnerable countries already suffering from climate-related weather extremes, Aboulmagd said in an interview.

"There are issues that are of interest and priority to developing countries, and there are high expectations from us as a developing country to ensure that these issues are taken on board and that they achieve commensurate progress with how important they are," he said.

But Egypt also would seek to mediate between developed and developing countries that have clashed over issues including carbon emissions and climate financing, as it tries to help steer a move from pledges to action, Aboulmagd said.

"In this particular year it is in the interest of the process that a perception of impartiality and equal distance from everyone is maintained."

Aboulmagd said Egypt was working to launch about 17 voluntary initiatives in areas including food and agriculture and water management, hoping to inspire ideas and action to help countries meet their pledges.

Egypt is fine tuning its own updated target for cutting greenhouse gas emissions, known as a nationally determined contribution (NDC).

"We intend to move even faster, despite very difficult circumstances," Aboulmagd said, referring to economic disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

To promote global access and representation at COP27, Egypt has sought to fast track accreditation for under-represented civil society organizations from Africa, Aboulmagd said, adding that he hoped climate campaigners and activists play a constructive role.

"There are certain rules and we're working with the secretariat to ensure that if there are people who want to protest, they're entitled to do that, and it's done in a peaceful manner," he said.

"It's good to have people yelling at you - hopefully not throwing stuff at you, but just yelling at you and we're accustomed to that."

Egypt's government had worked with hotels to provide affordable accommodation for participants in Sharm El-Sheikh, a tourist resort on the Red Sea, he said.

"What we have done to the utmost is to ensure that decent hotels and very reasonable rates are made available."



Gaza Rescuers Say Israeli Strikes Kill 24 Palestinians

A boy walks past a destroyed building in the aftermath of an Israeli strike at Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, on January 15, 2025, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the militant group Hamas. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
A boy walks past a destroyed building in the aftermath of an Israeli strike at Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, on January 15, 2025, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the militant group Hamas. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
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Gaza Rescuers Say Israeli Strikes Kill 24 Palestinians

A boy walks past a destroyed building in the aftermath of an Israeli strike at Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, on January 15, 2025, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the militant group Hamas. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)
A boy walks past a destroyed building in the aftermath of an Israeli strike at Deir el-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, on January 15, 2025, amid the ongoing war between Israel and the militant group Hamas. (Photo by Eyad BABA / AFP)

Gaza's civil defense agency said on Wednesday that Israeli strikes killed at least 24 people across the Palestinian territory, with Israel's military saying it had targeted Hamas militants overnight.

The latest violence, following more than 15 months of war between Israel and Palestinian group Hamas, comes as truce mediator Qatar said negotiations for a ceasefire and hostage release deal were in their "final stages”

The civil defense agency said in a statement that 11 bodies were brought to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the central Gaza Strip, after Israel struck a family home in Deir el-Balah city during the night.

A seven-year-old boy and three teenagers were among the dead, the agency said.

A separate strike targeted a school building used as shelter for war-displaced Palestinians in Gaza City, killing seven people and injuring several others, the civil defense agency said.

A third strike at dawn hit a house in the Al-Nuseirat refugee camp, killing six people and injuring seven, the agency added.

The Israeli military confirmed that its forces had carried out multiple strikes overnight in Gaza, saying in a statement that they were "precise" and targeted "terrorist operatives.”

Over the past 24 hours, the military said it had struck more than 50 targets across the Gaza Strip.

Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip has killed at least 46,707 Palestinians and wounded 110,265 since Oct. 7, 2023, the Palestinian enclave's health ministry said on Wednesday.