Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry urged the participants of the 27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC (COP27) to show a spirit of collective responsibility and set aside narrow national interests to come up with solutions to confront climate change.
Shoukry attended the pre-COP27 meeting at the ministerial level in Kinshasa, Congo, that was held in partnership with Egypt.
Foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid described the meeting as the "final stage" before the summit that will be held in in Sharm El-Sheikh in November.
The preparatory meeting focused on the main topics that will be covered at the climate summit, most notably efforts to reduce emissions, adapt to the effects of climate change, deal with its losses and damages, and provide the appropriate financing to meet the challenges of this phenomenon.
In an opening speech, Shoukry highlighted President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi's hosting of the leaders' summit at the beginning of COP27 and the opportunity it represents to confirm the political will and commitments of the participating parties.
The summit will include panel discussions that will address the topics of equitable transition to clean energy, the future of energy, innovative climate finance, food security, water security, and the effects of climate change on the most vulnerable communities.
Shoukry urged participants to show a spirit of collective responsibility, set aside narrow national interests, boost cooperation, and focus on the need to develop practical solutions that achieve the international collective interest to confront climate change.
The FM highlighted some of the current evidence of climate change in Africa and its challenge to sustainable development.
He also cited several examples of climate change worldwide, including the severe heatwaves that hit Europe, the floods in Pakistan, and the storms in the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and the US.
