UN Climate Change News, 12 December 2019 – The dates and host cities have been announced for the suite of 2020 Regional Climate Weeks, which will include for the first time a Climate Week in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, in addition to Climate Weeks in Africa, Latin America & the Caribbean and Asia.
Regional Climate Weeks bring together private- and public-sector representatives to share ideas and make connections in discussions, meetings and exhibitions on diverse themes related to climate action and sustainable development. They are meant to encourage and facilitate the implementation of ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and help deliver on the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
Representatives from the 2020 host countries announced the dates and host cities at the United Nations Climate Conference (COP25) in Madrid.
The newest Regional Climate Week, for the MENA region, will be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), in the fourth quarter of 2020.
"For the first time ever, a Regional Climate Week will be convened in the Middle East and Northern Africa; gathering governments, the private sector and civil society from the region to discuss the serious threat of climate change and to collaborate on swift and bold action to address this challenge," said Dr. Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister for Climate Change and Environment of the UAE.
“Today’s announcement represents an environmental and economic milestone of international importance. It’s also proof that the UAE has become a global platform for the transition to a green economy and represents a model for this transition that other countries can learn from,” he added.
Al Tayer Saeed, Chairman of the World Green Economy Organization, which will help organize MENA Climate Week, said: “This important event aims to foster and speed up the shift towards a new model of sustainable growth and highlight the importance of simultaneously addressing climate change and meeting global development challenges.”
Africa Climate Week will get the ball rolling on 9-13 March 2020 in Kampala, Uganda.
“We are proud that we will be able to steer this event on behalf of Africa,” said Dr. Mary Goretti Kitutu Kimono, Minister, Water and the Environment, Republic of Uganda. “We will have an inter-ministerial committee that is going to steer this, led by the Prime Minister himself, and we are going to see actions translated to the ground. Together with the Ministry of Education, we are planning to plant over 100 million trees on a dedicated day during the conference.”
Latin America and Caribbean Climate Week will be held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 6-10 July, with the objective of strengthening resilience to climate change at the regional level, especially in the island States of the Caribbean.
Moises Alvarez, Head of the Dominican Republic delegation said: “This meeting will enhance technical capacity, strengthening and developing relationships and the exchange of best practices and knowledge. It will also probe regional issues related to the implementation of the NDCs, sharing the local experience and will seek to showcase what other nations in Latin America and the Caribbean are doing.”
The announcement about the precise site and dates of Asia-Pacific Climate Week is expected soon.
In expressing appreciation to the 2020 hosts, Ovais Sarmad, Deputy Executive Secretary of UN Climate Change, stressed the importance of the Regional Climate Weeks for their ability “to address the wide range of climate issues under one umbrella and inspire individuals and organizations to become part of the momentum created by the Paris Climate Change Agreement.”
“2020 will be an extremely important and key year in the climate change process, as this will be a turning point when the NDCs will be submitted for the next period, and this is when ambition needs to be enhanced. The Regional Climate Weeks that are planned for 2020 will fit very nicely into that ambition and increase ambition everywhere for practical, pragmatic and purposeful climate action on the ground.”
The intention is to continue developing the Regional Climate Weeks as “wholly inclusive, go-to hubs for showcasing ground-breaking action, and facilitate the ratcheting up of ambition in each region,” said Mr. Sarmad.
The 2020 Regional Climate Weeks will build on the success of the 2019 events, held in Accra, Ghana; Salvador, Brazil; and Bangkok, Thailand.
For more information about the Regional Climate Weeks, please visit: www.regionalclimateweeks.org/
For media inquiries, please contact climate-week(at)unfccc.int