By Fatou Sanneh
The Vice President of the The Gambia His Exellency Mohammed BS Jallow has officially launched the Gambian Pavilion at the ongoing United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (UNFCCC COP 28) at Dubai Expo City, United Arab Emirates.
Addressing the Gambian delegates at the launching, Vice President Jallow emphasised the nation’s unwavering commitment to climate action, underscoring the urgency of global climate crisis.
VP Jallow further outlined key priority areas such as advocating for increased international support, showcasing Gambia’s sustainable initiatives, and fostering collaboration with other nations.
In her welcome remarks, the Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources, Hon. Rohey John-Manjang stated that this year’s COP is special to the country as The Gambia has a pavilion to showcase its unique climate challenges, vulnerabilities, and adaptation strategies while fostering global understanding and support..
Hon. Minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Momodou Tangara commended the climate change negotiators of the country for leading climate actions and negotiation on behalf of the country.
Permanent Representative of The Gambia to the United Nations, Mr. Lamin B. Dibba highlighted that COP 28 is a unique opportunity for Least Developed Countries (LDCs), building on the success that was registered at COP27 by establishing a Loss and Damage Framework.
He urged the negotiators to pay close attention to the ongoing negotiations about the operationisation of the Loss and Damage Fund as the LDCs suffer the most from the effects of climate change.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary took the delegates through the lined up activities of the pavilion as well as the negotiation priority areas for this year’s COP. He thanked the government of the United Arab Emirates for its support.
The event was graced by senior government officials, environmentalists, and delegates who joined hands in solidarity, fostering a spirit of cooperation in the fight against climate change.
COP is a UN climate change conference that takes place every year where the world comes together to agree on ways to address the climate crisis, such as limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius, helping vulnerable communities adapt to the effects of climate change, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
This year, more than 70,000 delegates are attending COP28, including the member states of the UNFCCC. Business leaders, young people, climate scientists, indigenous peoples, journalists, and various other experts and stakeholders are also among the participants.
