By Chisomo Phiri
Minister of Natural Resources and Climate Change, Michael Usi says government has not sponsored any accredited government officials to the United Nations Conference of Parties (COP 28) scheduled for Dubai, the United Arab Emirates, from November 30 to December 12, 2023.
Briefing the media in Lilongwe on Monday, Usi said a total of 153 Malawian delegates including government officials, the civil society, the academia and youth representatives are going to attend the meeting under sponsorship from various United Nations agencies, development partners, and the private sector.
“The President was supposed to attend the conference but he has delegated me, this is an indication that we are heeding to the austerity measures put in place by the President.
“In addition, all officials at the conference are going to account for their trip,” he said.
Usi indicated that the COP28 is a pivotal platform for Malawi to engage with world leaders on how to address pressing challenges posed by climate change.
He said :”Our presence at this summit is not merely symbolic, it is also an opportunity for Malawi to actively contribute to the global discourse on climate action.”
He further said Malawi acknowledges the global nature of climate change, hence the need for collective and inclusive response to issues of climate change.
The Minister added that Malawi will therefore, play a part to contribute towards formulation of policies and work towards consensus building to ensure that the outcomes of COP28 reflect the shared responsibility of all nations.
“Our delegation will engage in constructive dialogues, share our experiences and seek collaboration with other nations to enhance our adaptive capacities,” Usi said.
COP28 is a gathering of representatives from different countries who agree to take actions of tackling the climate crisis and Malawi is a party to that.
Malawi’s priority areas of discussion at the conference include climate finance, loss and damage, building adaptation and resilience, agriculture, food security and nutrition, among others.
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