Guyana to participate at COP 22 and Education Ministers conference
GINA, GUYANA, Friday, October 28, 216
A Guyana delegation will participate at the Twenty-Second session of the Conference of Parties (COP 22) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. COP 22 will be held in Marrakesh, Morocco, Nov 7-18, 2016.
Speaking with the media today, at a post cabinet press conference, Minster of State, Joseph Harmon, said that the conference is expected to be an important step in implementing the Paris agreement which was adopted at Cop 21 last year. Harmon added that 81 parties representing 60 percent of global emissions have ratified the Paris agreement so far.
The COP 22 to the United Nations framework convention on climate change
The Guyana delegation will be headed by President David Granger and will include; Minister of Finance, Winston Jordan; Head of Office of Climate Change, Janelle Christian; Director of the Department of Environment, Ndibi Schwiers and; personnel from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Harmon explained that the delegation is expected to articulate Guyana’s position on priority, thematic issues of finance and encourage stronger global actions in addressing climate change, especially for Guyana.
With 80 percent of Guyana being covered with pristine rainforest, Guyana has taken several initiatives to ensure that its rainforest remains intact.
Guyana can be severely affected if climate change is not taken seriously since
Head of the Office of Climate Change, Janelle Christian
most of the population and businesses are located along the coast which is approximately six feet below sea level at high tide which makes it vulnerable to rising ocean levels.
The 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference, COP 21 which was held in Paris, France, from November 30 to December 12, 2015 negotiated the Paris Agreement, a global agreement on the reduction of climate change.
The agreement will become legally binding if joined by at least 55 countries which together represent at least 55 percent of global greenhouse emissions.
Meanwhile, Guyana will be represented at the Islamic Education Scientific and Cultural Organisation first conference of Ministers of Education to be held in Tunis, Tunisia on October 27-28, 2016.
The Minister of State said that the government and the Ministry of Education will be represented by Technical Advisor in the Minister of Education, Vincent Alexander. The conference will provide participants the opportunity to discuss relevant issues, exchanged views and plan joint actions for education development.
By: Ranetta LaFleur