By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa will lead South Africa’s delegation to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s (UNFCCC) 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) in Dubai.
Ramaphosa will lead the delegation on 1 and 2 December 2023, however, in total the conference runs from 30 November to 12 December 2023.
“Following the President’s participation this week, the Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, Barbara Creecy, will stay on and lead the country’s participation for the remainder of the conference until 12 December 2023.
“South Africa’s delegation to the conference will include government and business representatives in recognition of the value of partnerships in dealing with the challenge of climate change and sustainable development,” the Presidency said.
The 18th COP Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP18) and the fourth COP Meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA) sessions will be convened on the sidelines of the COP28.
The conference will witness the first Global Stocktake (GST), which will provide a comprehensive assessment of progress made since the adoption of the Paris Agreement in 2015.
This will help align efforts on climate action, including measures that need to be implemented to bridge the gaps in progress.
The purpose of the stocktake is to help parties prepare their next nationally determined contributions to the Paris Agreement to raise ambition and accelerate climate action, as well as to enhance international cooperation.
Ramaphosa will meet with many of their international counterparts, including Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Pope Francis, the UK’s King Charles III and France’s Emmanuel Macron. US President Joe Biden, however, will be sending his special envoy for the climate, John Kerry. China’s Xi Jinping is not expected to be in Dubai either.