The COP 22 is an opportunity to debate and discuss several issues relating in particular to agriculture, food security, energy, industry, transport and water. The event took place in Bab Ighli village, which extends over an area of nearly 300,000 m2. Around 20,000 delegates from 196 countries were gathered at the UN Climate Change Conference. Morocco had officially assumed the presidency of the 22nd Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP22).

At the opening ceremony of the COP 22 held on the 7th of November 2016 in Marrakech, COP21 president Segolene Royal handed over the presidency to Morocco’s foreign affairs minister Salaheddine Mezouar. The COP 22 focused on action items in order to achieve the priorities of The Paris Agreement, especially those related to adaptation, transparency, technology transfer, mitigation, capacity building, loss and damages. The Conference was an opportunity to debate and discuss several issues relating in particular to agriculture, food security, energy, industry, transport and water.

COP22 'Excellent' Organization Confirms Morocco's Firm Commitment To Fight Climate Change

Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-Moon, expressed his deep admiration and respect for HM King Mohammed VI, His Government and the Moroccan people. The UN Chief also expressed his "gratitude" following the decision of the Sovereign to host the 22nd Conference of the Parties (COP 22) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. "Throughout my tenure as the chief of the United Nations, I have worked closely with HM the King and I look forward to meet the Sovereign," he added at a press conference on the sidelines of the COP22.

Ban Ki-moon underlined "the crucial importance of the COP22, whose mission is to ensure that the world is united while facing the challenges of climate change," adding that UN member states showed "great enthusiasm and passion." "This is the manifestation of the leadership of the Kingdom of Morocco at this COP22," he noted. "Morocco is an important member of the United Nations, not only in Africa and the region of North Africa and the Middle East, but within the concert of nations," the UNSG pointed out, hailing Morocco’s contribution to international peace and security.

The "excellent" organization of COP22, held on November 7-18 in Marrakech, confirms Morocco's "weight" on the international scene, President of the Spanish Government, Mariano Rajoy, said. COP22 'Excellent' Organization Confirms Morocco's Firm Commitment To Fight Climate Change (Rajoy). Holding this global event in Morocco and the "excellent" organization also highlight the "firm commitment" of the Kingdom to fight climate change, Rajoy told the press on the sidelines of the COP22 summit.

Paris Agreement, 'Turning Point' in History of Humanity’s Effort (UN Official, COP22 President)

The Paris Agreement on climate change constitutes a "turning point" in the history of humanity’s effort and it brings about a political will, said executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Patricia Espinosa, and president of COP22, Salaheddine Mezouar. The Paris Agreement “constitutes, without doubt, a turning point in the history of humanity’s effort and it brings about the political, economic and social will of governments, cities, regions, citizens, companies and investors to defeat a threat that an uncontrolled climate change represents for human nature,” they said in a statement by the UNFCCC, issued on the occasion of the entry into force of the Paris Agreement.

Humanity will remember November 4, 2016 as the day when the world’s countries stopped a climate disaster that seemed inevitable and opened the way for a sustainable future", Espinoza and Mezouar said, noting that the COP22 represents a new departure for the international community. During the COP21, governments had made a formal commitment to lead the action in the fight against climate change and presented a set of national plans for immediate action. "We expect that the COP22 in Marrakech will accelerate the development of transparency rules and a clear roadmap of developed countries to mobilize 100 billion dollars annually by 2020 to support climate action in developing countries, "said Espinoza and Mezouar.

COP22: France Promises 5 Billion Euros a Year by 2020

French President François Hollande said, at COP22 in Marrakech, that France will "keep its word" on developing countries, announcing a funding of 5 billion Euros per year by 2020, out of the 100 billion Euros promised by developed countries under the Paris Agreement. Hollande, who was speaking at the high-level segment of the COP22, said that concerning Africa, France will provide 5 billion Euros over the next 5 years among the 10 billion promised during the Paris COP under the renewable energy initiative for Africa, and for which 240 projects were identified. He added that his country will make sure to mobilize the European Union for this purpose. "The COP 22 must be an event of solutions and place the future of Africa a top priority," he said, noting that "the world has an ecological debt towards Africans", given that of the 50 countries the most affected by climate change 36 are in sub-Saharan Africa. At the national level, he said that France will reduce GHG emissions by 40% by 2030 and divide them by 4 by 2050, while announcing the closure of coal-fired power stations by 2023.