PRESS BRIEFING BY MONICA VILELA GRAYLEY, SPOKESPERSON FOR GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT ABDULLA SHAHID
Good afternoon!
PGA asks for urgent climate action at the COP26 Opening Ceremony
The President of the General Assembly started his second working day in Glasgow, where he is attending the UN Conference on Climate Change, COP26.
In his remarks, at the Opening Ceremony on Sunday, Mr. Abdulla Shahid spoke about an “existential crisis” for humanity.
The PGA said that we have the capacities and resources to address this crisis, however we are simply not doing enough.
Mr. Shahid believed that the world is entirely capable of turning this around and urged all delegations in Glasgow to get it done.
For the GA President, there is an urgency of keeping within the 1.5 degree-target whilst supporting vulnerable populations.
He also shared that during his dialogues with Heads of State and Government, youth and women’s groups and other stakeholders, previously to COP26, it was made clear that not capitalizing on technological innovations would be irresponsible.
Mr. Shahid said that it is important to empower women and youth as the international community seeks the solution for the climate crisis.
The PGA noted that the promised goal of $100 billion annually for climate financing will not be met before 2023.
Therefore, we now must accelerate our efforts to ensure that all countries have access to the latest technological innovations with green jobs, more efficient contributions to net-zero targets and focus on adaptation and mitigation financing especially for vulnerable countries.
After his speech, Mr. Abdulla Shahid met with young climate activists and received the Global Youth Statement, a document compiled out of 40,000 contributions from youth around the globe demanding urgent climate action from international leaders.
PGA’s Agenda at COP26
Earlier today in Glasgow, the PGA granted interviews to Al Jazeera, CNBC, Sky News Arabia, and held separate bilateral meetings with the President of Malawi, H.E, Mr. Lazarus Chakwera, Lord Karan Bilimoria, and H. E. Sultan bin Ahmad Sultan Al Jaber, the Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology of the United Arab Emirates.
Later today, the PGA will meet the Minister of Finance and Climate Change of Tuvalu, Seve Paeniu, and before talking to women scientists, who are taking part in COP26, the PGA will meet the Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum, H.E. Mr. Henry Puna.
This is all for today. I will know take your questions. Please go ahead, Evelyn.
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