King Mohammed VI to Visit UAE on Monday

Rabat – King Mohammed VI is set to go on an official visit to the United Arab Emirates on Monday following an invitation from President Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, according to a statement from the Royal Cabinet.

The visit coincides with the UAE’s hosting of the UN Climate Summit COP28 in Dubai. During the summit, King Mohammed VI addressed a letter to the summit calling for a “paradigm shift” in global climate negotiations, and urging leaders to abandon “half-measures” and embrace a bold pact for action.

The monarch’s speech, delivered during the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) in Dubai, underscored the urgency of addressing the escalating challenges of climate change.

“The conclusions of the First Global Stocktake of the Paris Agreement attest to a universal momentum around the climate issue,” he said. “Nevertheless, adaptation efforts remain fragmented, incremental and unevenly distributed across regions, particularly those most vulnerable to the devastating effects of climate change.”

The monarch stressed that “half-measures cannot be bold measures.”

“Similarly, a partial vision only exacerbates risks, adds to the damage, and increases material, natural and human losses,” he added.

To give more momentum to climate mitigation efforts, the King proposed an immediate shift away from the “small steps” and called for the adoption of a “bolder” Pact for Action.

In his address, King Mohammed VI renewed Morocco’s commitment to “concrete” climate initiatives.

“Our ambition manifests itself in concrete, precise sectoral actions,” he explained, adding that “it is expressed through detailed, verifiable Action Plans for adaptation, mitigation and decarbonization.”

Addressing the inequitable distribution of climate financing, he pointed out that Africa is disproportionately affected by climate change. “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,” he noted.