The 22nd Session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22) will be held in Marrakech, November 7 to 18, 2016.

COP22 will take over the reins from COP21 during which important progress was made. It will focus on action items in order to achieve the priorities of The Paris Agreement, especially related to adaptation, transparency, technology transfer, mitigation, capacity building and loss and damages.

For Salaheddine Mezouar, President of COP22, this conference is an “opportunity to make the voices of the most vulnerable countries to climate change heard, in particular African countries and island states. It is urgent to act on these issues linked to stability and security,” he declared. COP22 will be one of action.

Encourage countries to commit to a low-carbon economy

Signatories to The Paris Agreement now have to develop their National Adaptation Plans.  For Nizar Baraka, President of the COP22 Scientific Committee,  “we must encourage our respective countries to commit in a strong way to sectors related to the green economy [as well as the blue economy] in order to take advantage of associated growth and job opportunities.”

This means preserving the sustainability of our development models and improving the access to, conditions of use and development of green technologies.

“Rediscover Universalism”

Driss El Yazami, Head of Civil Society activities of COP22 insists on the importance of “universal solidarity.” He adds: “COP22 must be one of equality, youth and democracy.”

For DrissYazami, “even if the historic responsibilities and future effects are not equally shared, we must act together.  The urgency of climate change requires that we all rediscover universalism.”

Reveu de presse COP22