GFDD/Funglode Joins the UN Climate Change Community for the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC

GFDD/Funglode was present as the Opening Ceremony of the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Marrakesh, Morocco this Monday November 21, 2016. GFDD’s UN Programs and Outreach Manager, Marc Jourdan attended the session together with over twelve thousand other climate change experts from across the globe, stemming from both the public and the private sector. The opening session
included remarks from a wide variety of high level speakers including Ségolène Royal, President of the 21st session of the COP to the UNFCCC, Salaheddine Mezouar, COP 22 President, Patricia Espinosa, UNFCCC Executive Secretary and Hoesung Lee, the newly elected Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Providing the opening remarks for the ceremony, the President of the 21st session of the COP to the UNFCCC, Ségolène Royal, stood before a crowded auditorium constituted of UN Member State delegates, civil society and private sector representatives to congratulate the international communities for their efforts in ratifying the Paris Climate
Agreement. Royal noted that 100 countries had to date ratified the Paris agreement, before impressing on the international community the need to accelerate low carbon solutions to reduce the impacts of climate damage. She stressed that “the richest countries live like there are 3 planets earth and the poorest countries live like there is no planet left” and noted that “this will be an African COP, not only because of its location but because many of the most
climate vulnerable and poorest nations are based here”.

Following Royal’s remarks, the plenary then moved to elect Salaheddine Mezouar, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of Morocco, as President of the 22nd COP. In his opening address, Mezouar warned Member State Delegates that the “world of the eyes are on us, and expect more transparency and consistency from our actions”.

His intervention was followed
by a statement by Patricia Espinosa, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, who told the audience that in her capacity as newly appointed head of the UNFCCC she would “do her best to meet the expectations of the world”. Reminding participants that this was the second COP, taking place in the shadow of the Atlas Mountains she reminded participants that the Paris Agreement went into implementation 3 days ago, but that “achieving the aims of the agreement is not a
given”. She noted that “Marrakesh is the opportunity to take a sustainable path for every man woman and child”.

Finally, the newly elected Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Hoesung Lee of the Republic of Korea also addressed the audience to remind attendees that the IPCC would publish its first sections of the 6th assessment report in 2017 (final date of release will be 2022). He explained that the IPCC had
recently been pushing to enhance the involvement of climate scientists from developing countries in its assessments to ensure that their work remains truly gobal.

The UNFCCC COP22 is in session from Monday November 7 to Friday November 18, 2016.

For more information about the conference please visit:
http://unfccc.int/meetings/marrakech_nov_2016/meeting/9567.php