Moroccan King Addresses The World Climate Action Summit In Dubai

Dubai, December 1 (TNA) Moroccan King Mohammed VI, on Friday, addressed the World Climate Action Summit, held as part of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) being held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Addressing world leaders present at the all-important meeting, chaired by the Secretary-General of the United Nations Organization, the King extended his heartfelt thanks to Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyane, and the United Arab Emirates, for the excellent organization of this high-level event, and for the commitment shown by the Chair to ensure the success of COP 28.

He further udnerlined how the conclusions of the First Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement attest to a universal momentum around the climate issue. “Nevertheless, adaptation efforts remain fragmented, incremental and unevenly distributed across regions, particularly those most vulnerable to the devastating effects of climate change” he stated.

Half-measures cannot be bold measures. Similarly, a partial vision only exacerbates risks, adds to the damage and increases material, natural and human losses. Global management of the climate crisis can only proceed from an approach that is better suited to national constraints, that focuses on sustainable qualitative growth and that is, above all, rooted in a humanist vision, the monarch went on to say.

Just as climate change is inexorably accelerating, the Conferences of the Parties must - starting here and now - move away from the logic of "small steps" which has characterized COPs for far too long. I understand that such an empirical approach was necessary when people had to be convinced of the relevance of climate action, not to say the very existence of climate change, he added.

Today, however, this technical approach complicates the terms of engagement and reduces the tackling of the climate predicament to a circle of pundits, at a time when it should be a challenge that concerns all mankind. In other words, there is a gap between "small steps" on the one hand, and the looming climate challenges that need to be addressed immediately, on the other.

Just as we need to believe in climate action, we also have to be convinced that between those who resign themselves to "small steps" and those who believe wholeheartedly in "big breaks" - driven by ideology and dogma - there is a course of action between the two one that is rooted in pragmatism, of course, Mohammed VI further said.

The Kingdom's effective involvement in innovative, rallying regional initiatives aimed at better adaptation of African agriculture, strengthening sustainability, stability and security on the Continent, and encouraging the climate leadership of young Africans, reflect Morocco's multidimensional and unwavering support for the tireless efforts African sister countries are making, the royal said.

“If solidarity and suitability are principles of international climate action, we must guard against punishing success. I am thinking, in particular, of the situation of middle-income countries, which are leading the battle for socio-economic development as well as for sustainable development. For these countries - including my own, the Kingdom of Morocco - I call for specific, more sustained attention on the part of the international community” he stressed.