Rabat – The Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Patricia Espinosa, praised on Wednesday in Fiji the “great” Moroccan presidency of COP22, held in Marrakech in November 2016, expressing optimism about upcoming Fiji presidency of COP23.
“The Moroccan presidency was great, and we had an incredible partner with whom we delivered the first session of the Conference,” said the official in a statement to the MAP on the sidelines of the Pre-COP23 meeting.
Espinosa also expressed her appreciation and gratitude to Morocco for the “extraordinary” support given to Fiji in order to advance the climate change agenda.
“We remember with gratitude your [Salah Eddine Mezouar] strong endorsement of Fiji’s Presidency; your constant reminder that this is a year in which we must accelerate progress in the negotiations to safeguard the interests of the most vulnerable,” said Espinosa.
“The Pre-COP in Fiji is an important and constructive step towards another successful COP23 after Paris and Marrakech,” she added.
The Pre-COP ministerial meeting was organized prior to the 23rd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP23) at the 13th meeting of the Conference of the Paris agreement.
Co-chaired by Salah Eddine Mezouar and Fiji Prime Minister Josaia Voreqe Bainimarama, Chairpersons of COP22 and 23 respectively, the ministerial meeting served as a basis for high-level political discussions on key elements of the COP23 negotiations in preparation for the next meetings of the conference in Bonn.
The discussions focused on the key issues related to the implementation of the Paris Accord and will provide an opportunity to build on the conclusions of the highly successful COP22 in Marrakech, to reaffirm the commitment of the countries in favor of the Paris Agreement and to take significant steps to advance the implementation of the Marrakech roadmap.
