Environmental concerns must be tackled responsibly – Moroccan King

The King of Morocco, Mohammed VI, yesterday cautioned against countries agreeing to decisions that they may find hard to comply with. He was speaking during the 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP 22) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Marrakech, Morocco. The Monarch told thousands of delegates that the environmental issue is a critical problem which must be tackled in the most serious and responsible way. With a strong emphasis on the summit being an honest discussion, the King observed that plenty of promises were made at previous conferences, and affirmed that COP22 is a conference of truth and clarity. “The era of colonialism is over. The logic of imposing decisions is over. What is at stake is the very existence of man. It is therefore our joint duty to work hand in hand to protect him,” he said. “Accordingly, countries must not be pressed from the start into accepting decisions they will be unable to comply with. This is not to say that they reject them. It only means that they do not have the necessary means to implement them.” He called on developed countries to honor their commitments and mobilising 100 billion dollars at least, by 2020, which was the key to the Paris Agreement. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, whose country has been in the spotlight on a possibility to backtrack on the Paris Agreement – after remarks by President Elect Donald Trump, is expected to deliver an address today Wednesday on global climate change. Natural Resources Minister Dr. Vincent Biruta said the level of implementation of the Paris agreement can never be the same, observing that priorities in industrialised countries, which are said to be advanced nations, are not the same as those in developing countries. Meanwhile, yesterday developing and developed countries launched a new partnership dubbed the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) partnership, dedicated to deliver on the Paris Agreement on climate change and related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The NDC Partnership is a new coalition of developing and developed countries and international institutions working together to ensure countries receive the technical and financial support they need to achieve ambitious climate and related sustainable development goals as fast and effectively as possible. “National climate plans, or NDCs, are at the heart of the Paris Agreement,” said Dr. Hakima El Haite, Climate Champion and Minister Delegate in Charge of the Environment, Ministry of Energy, Mines Water and the Environment, Morocco. “Launching at COP22, the NDC Partnership comes at an opportune time to accelerate climate action worldwide. This Partnership is a vital, collaborative platform for helping countries embed their NDCs into all sectors and all levels of decision-making. Through the NDC Partnership, we will also engage more of the private sector, encourage South-South cooperation and make donors more responsive to countries’ needs. The NDC Partnership is exactly the sort of smart, action-oriented initiative that we need to deliver on the promise of the Paris Agreement,” he said. editorial@newtimes.co.rw

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Environmental concerns must be tackled responsibly – Moroccan King