King Mohammed VI has called on the international community to grant specific and more sustained attention to middle-income countries and to Africa which are leading the battle for socio-economic development as well as for sustainable development, warning that if solidarity and suitability are principles of international climate action, the international community must guard against punishing success.
“For these countries – including my own, the Kingdom of Morocco – I call for specific, more sustained attention on the part of the international community. This would only be fair,” said King Mohammed VI in a Speech to the World Climate Action Summit, held as part of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) being held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates and where the Sovereign is represented by his youngest sister Lalla Hasna.
“Indeed, it would only be fair that middle-income countries are not penalized for the progress they make. We should not ask them to do more and at the same time restrict their access to the resources required for development. Quite the opposite, I think there can be no better climate ‘success stories’ to champion and reward than those of middle-income countries,” he pointed out.
“In a global system that remains inequitable, Africa received $30 billion in annual climate financing flows in 2020, representing less than 12% of its needs,” the Sovereign recalled, noting that Africa, penalized and disadvantaged, has, nonetheless, all the assets needed to become the solution to the global climate issue – the answer to the major challenges of the 21st century. “The lack of active solidarity is considerably slowing down the momentum of Africa’s climate action,” he warned.
“The IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings held in Marrakesh concluded that there was a pressing need to reform multilateralism and development financing, two levers humanity came up with to meet the challenges of the 20th century – two levers in which we believe. It is that conviction which is motivating my country as President of the United Nations Environment Assembly,” the King pointed out .
True to its commitment to Africa, Morocco is tirelessly pressing ahead with its efforts to implement the decisions of the First Africa Action Summit, held on the sidelines of COP 22, especially the operationalization of the three African Climate Commissions for the Congo Basin, the Sahel, and African Island States, he reaffirmed, recalling that “the Kingdom’s effective involvement in innovative, rallying regional initiatives aimed at better adaptation of African agriculture, strengthening sustainability, stability and security on the Continent, and encouraging the climate leadership of young Africans, reflect Morocco’s multidimensional and unwavering support for the tireless efforts African sister countries are making.”
“If solidarity and suitability are principles of international climate action, we must guard against punishing success,” King Mohammed VI insisted.