The monumental, global task to deal with the issue of climate change continues at the United Nations Conference of Parties, or COP28 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from November 30 to December 12, 2023. The Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) Commission will be represented by a six-member delegation led by the OECS Director General, Dr. Didacus Jules. The OECS has long been at the forefront of advocacy for global climate action, given its implications for OECS citizens. OECS Member states now face storms with greater frequency and intensity because of increasing global atmospheric temperatures, which if not addressed, will be catastrophic for the region.
According to the COP28 presidency, “COP28 UAE brings the world together at a critical moment for global transformative climate action. To deliver on its ambitious agenda, COP28 will be inclusive, transparent, pragmatic, and results-oriented.” Delegates, including leaders from around the world, will be meeting to demonstrate solidarity on climate action to address critical issues including biodiversity loss, degraded agricultural land, and food insecurity.
The COP28 presidency further states, “The COP28 thematic program is designed to unite a diverse range of stakeholders – all levels of governments, youth, business and investors, civil society, frontline communities, indigenous peoples, and others – around specific solutions that must be scaled up this decade to limit warming to 1.5 degrees, build resilience, and mobilize finance at scale. This set of solutions constitutes the response to the Global Stocktake, looking where the world stands on climate action and support, identifying the gaps, and working together to agree on solutions pathways to 2030 and beyond” – www.cop28.com.
The COP28 agenda also includes defining the way forward on the breakthrough agreement at the close of COP27 to provide loss and damage funding for vulnerable countries affected by climate disasters. Given the ramifications for our region, the OECS Commission and several high-level delegations from OECS Member States will be part of these negotiations.