Egypt, ESCWA Discuss Preparations for COP27

Yasmine Fouad, Minister of Environment met with Rola Dashti, Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Committee for Western Asia (ESCWA), and her accompanying delegation, to discuss the possibility of the “ESCO” committee providing aspects of possible technical support to Egypt, as well as cooperating with it through a set of proposed climate initiatives regarding its organization of the 27th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change (COP27).

Fouad clarified, during the meeting, that several initiatives related to climate change will be launched during the COP27, determined according to the mitigation and adaptation and the identification of the parties involved in each initiative.

The Minister indicated that she is looking forward to ESCWA providing technical and advisory support to come up with a climate financing strategy for Arab countries.

She explained that ESCWA can also be a partner in the Climate Week in the Middle East and Africa by strengthening the work of organizations and their participation with regional parties to achieve the regional needs and outcomes of global climate change processes; through standing on common ground for cooperation in climate action.

On her part, Rola Dashti, Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the ESCWA Committee expressing her desire to provide technical assistance to Egypt and to play a positive role in the conference.

Dashti also referred to the “debt swap” initiative launched by ESCWA to serve the interests of developing and developed countries, explaining that it is a mechanism for swapping debts for financing climate action and sustainable development goals, through the establishment of partnerships to redirect debt repayment towards climate adaptation projects in accordance with national development plans to tackle the repercussions of climate change.

She indicated that it will be presented among the initiatives that Egypt will put forward during hosting the "Climate Change" summit in Sharm El-Sheikh in November 2022.