GENEVA, 5th July, 2023 (WAM) — The Jusoor International for Media and Development, in collaboration with the Arab-European Forum for Dialogue and Human Rights, on Tuesday organised an event focusing on climate justice, international responsibility and the humanitarian challenges resulting from climate change.
The event was held in Geneva on the sidelines of the 53rd Regular Session of Human Rights.
During the event, participants emphasised that climate change and its effects are impacting countries worldwide, including major nations. They called on major industrialised countries to use the upcoming 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) hosted by the UAE in Expo 2020 Dubai in November as a platform to declare their commitment to the agreements reached in Paris and elsewhere.
They also urged these countries to consider the importance of achieving climate justice by providing the necessary funding to developing nations to help them address the destructive impacts of climate change and supply them with the required technology to tackle the challenges at hand.
Mohamed Al Hammadi, President of Jusoor International for Media and Development, highlighted that climate change poses a global challenge affecting all inhabitants of the planet, calling on relevant parties to fulfil their commitments under the Paris Agreement.
Al Hammadi stressed that climate change had become an evident problem that requires collective international efforts, including adherence to the agreements reached at the Copenhagen Summit, in which developed countries committed to mobilising US$100 billion for developing countries to address climate change impacts.
Furthermore, he highlighted the necessity of taking the required measures to address climate change, particularly regarding climate justice, non-discrimination, transparency, inclusiveness and the need for accurate information and data on the nature and severity of the problem.
Al Hammadi acknowledged that the Middle East, including the Gulf region where the UAE is hosting COP28, is well aware of climate issues and the resulting challenges, such as water scarcity, drought and rising temperatures.
Jayant Narayan, an expert in AI and climate technologies, stated that developed countries must commit to providing contemporary technology to developing nations as it is vital for achieving climate justice.
Narayan pointed out that climate justice is largely linked to technology, and progress is being made to enhance capabilities in climate technologies and techniques. He also acknowledged that major industrialised countries face problems and repercussions from climate change due to the increasing intensity of greenhouse gas emissions, resulting in forest fires and floods, similar to other developing countries.
Narayan highlighted the persisting issue of funding to address climate challenges today and hoped that real and practical solutions to this challenge would be reached in COP28. He praised the UAE for its remarkable advancements in climate capabilities and its strong commitment to the Paris Agreement, considering it an international exemplary model.
Ayman Nasri, the Head of the Arab- European Forum for Dialogue and Human Rights, stated that climate justice had become one of the most important issues strongly influencing international agendas. He pointed out that climate change and its consequences on achieving climate justice and the continuous degradation of the natural environment since the 1970s have increased the international community's awareness regarding the severity of this issue.
Despite their importance, Nasri noted that national policies alone may not be sufficient to address the economic and social impacts of climate change.
He also warned that the consequences of climate change would have a more severe impact on the underprivileged, highlighting the ethical dimensions of the issue and the necessity of prioritising human rights when discussing climate change, its effects and ways to address it.