Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry — who is also the President-Designate of the 27th UN Conference of Parties on Climate Change (COP27) — chaired on Wednesday the first virtual meeting of the COP27 Friends Group.
In a statement, Ahmed Abu Zeid — Spokesperson for the Ministry of Affairs — explained that the Friends Group is an informal consultative framework for the president-designate of the conference, adding that its membership includes a high-level selection of experts in the field of climate change, former presidents of climate change conferences, environment ministers, and heads of a number of organisations.
Furthermore, Abu Zeid said that the FM highlighted during the meeting the importance of realising that the climate conference this year is taking place in an international context full of challenges.
Shoukry also noted that the conference represents an opportunity for the various international parties to reaffirm their solidarity, unity, and commitment to confront climate change and overcome differences in positions and views.
In this context, the FM was keen to listen to the views of the participants on ways to deal with the challenges associated with the current international climate work based on the accumulated experiences of the group members and the vision of the Egyptian presidency in this regard.
Additionally, the meeting discussed in detail ways how to achieve the goals set for the COP27, which are based on the need to move from the stage of making pledges to the stage of actual on the ground implementation; the commitment of parties to international climate action to make tangible progress in mitigating the consequences of climate change by enhancing adaptation measures, addressing losses and damages, and providing climate finance; along with adjusting their nationally determined contributions for reducing carbon emissions.
At the end of the meeting, the members of the group expressed their confidence in the ability of the Egyptian presidency to successfully organise the conference and its outcomes and their appreciation for the keenness of the president of the conference to communicate with them and take the initiative to form the group.
