United Nations Climate Change Conference

 The conference kicked-off this week to lay the groundwork of success for the next Climate Change Conference, (COP27) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.

Governments are meeting for the first time since the conclusion of the UN Climate 26th Meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow last November. PNG is represented by a team of technical negotiators from the Climate Change & Development Authority (CCDA), PNG Forest Authority, National Energy Authority and the Department of Works & Highways.

The event aimed at strengthening partnership and action on climate change.

With Fiji as the incoming President of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, known as the Conference of Parties (COP 23) meeting under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), all Pacific Island leaders in an overwhelming show of support and solidarity, reaffirmed their solemn obligation and responsibility in ensuring that the necessary global actions are taken to address climate change.

Sopoaga says critically important aspects of addressing climate change have been pushed out, eroded or “drowned out” by the agenda of developed countries and he is committed to ensuring that they are given attention ahead of, and during the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 21) meeting in Paris later this month. 

“Human rights have been largely ignored in the climate change discourse but it has to be an integral part of, and be in the centre of discussions,” says Sopoaga.