Foreign News
UN Scribe Reacts to Breakdown of Negotiations at COP27
UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres has decried the breakdown of trust between the global North and South at the ongoing 27th session of Conference of Parties (COP27) on Climate Change in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.
Guterres in his remark at COP27 briefing on Thursday, said the breakdown in trust between North and South, and between developed and emerging economies was a recipe for mutually assured destruction.
“This is no time for finger pointing.
The blame game is a recipe for mutually assured destruction.“I am here to appeal to all parties to rise to this moment and to the greatest challenge facing humanity. The world is watching and has a simple message: stand and deliver,” said the UN scribe.
Guterres urged the parties to deliver the kind of of meaningful climate action that people and the planet so desperately needed; as global emissions were at their highest level in history and still rising.
“Climate impacts are decimating economies and societies and growing. We know what we need to do and we have the tools and resources to get it done.
“And so I appeal to the parties to act in three critical areas. First, the most effective way to rebuild trust is by finding an ambitious and credible agreement on loss and damage and financial support to developing countries.
“The time for talking on loss and damage finance is over. We need action. No one can deny the scale of loss and damage we see around the globe.
“The world is burning and drowning before our eyes and I urge all parties to show that they see it and get it.
“Send a clear signal that the voices of those on the frontlines of the crisis are finally being heard. Reflect the urgency, scale and enormity of the challenge faced by developing countries.
“We cannot continue to deny climate justice to those who have contributed least to the climate crisis and are getting hurt the most. Now is a moment for solidarity, said the UN chief.
He also appealed to all parties to forcefully address the huge emissions gap, noting that the 1.5 target was not simply about keeping a goal alive, but it’s about keeping people alive.
“I see the will to keep to the 1.5 goal – but we must ensure that commitment is evident in the COP27 outcome. Fossil fuel expansion is hijacking humanity.
“Any hope of meeting the 1.5 target requires a step change in emissions reductions. We cannot close the emissions gap without an acceleration in the deployment of renewables.
“The Just Energy Transition Partnerships are important pathways to accelerate the phasing out of coal and the scaling up of renewables. This effort must be expanded,” he said.
Guterres also called for the delivery of the $100 billion in the climate finance for developing countries by the developed world.
The parties, he said must act on the crucial question of finance as it meant clarity on how the doubling of adaptation finance will be delivered through a credible roadmap.
“We have agreed solutions in front of us to respond to loss and damage, to close the emissions gap, and to deliver on finance. The climate clock is ticking, and trust keeps eroding.
“The parties at COP27 have a chance to make a difference here and now. I urge them to act — and act quickly,” the UN boss appealed. (NAN)
U.S. President Donald Trump has called on Iran to conclude an agreement with Washington on its controversial nuclear programme, amid a series of Israeli strikes on nuclear facilities and military leaders.
“There is still time to make this slaughter come to an end,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social on Friday.
“Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire,” Trump continued.
“JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”Observers consider it unlikely that Iran’s leadership would opt for a diplomatic approach in light of the Israeli attacks.
Israeli media reported that Tehran had retaliated with an attack involving about 100 drones, all of which were shot down.
“I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal,” Trump wrote.
“The U.S. makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come and they know how to use it,” Trump wrote. (dpa/NAN)
Pope Leo XIV said on Wednesday that he was praying for the victims of the mass shooting in a school in the Austrian city of Graz.
“I would like to express my prayers for the victims of the tragedy at the Graz school,” Leo said during his weekly audience in the Vatican.
Leo added that he is keeping the families, teachers, and fellow pupils in his thoughts.
According to police, a 21-year-old former pupil at the school entered the grounds on Tuesday and opened fire, killing 10 pupils aged between 15 and 17 as well as a teacher.
He then shot himself.
Eleven people remain in the hospital, most of them in intensive care.
All are now reported to be in a stable condition.
Graz, in south-eastern Austria, is home to around 300,000 people. (dpa/NAN)
The Nigerians in Diaspora Organisation (NiDO)-Worldwide has appointed Mr Chibuzo Ubochi, as its new Coordinating Chairman of NIDO-Europe.
Ubochi succeeds Dr Victor Ubani, the Chairman of NIDO Americas and outgoing coordinating chairman of NiDO-Worldwide.
Ubani disclosed this in a statement issued on Tuesday, against backdrop of the end of his tenure as coordinating chairman and inauguration of Ubochi’s tenure as the new chairman of the organisation.
He congratulated Ubochi over his recent electoral victory where he emerged chairman of the organisation, saying it was a closely contested NIDO-Europe election against Dr Johnson Odibo.
According to him, the process which was conducted with robust participation, ushered in a new era for NIDO-Europe.
Ubani said: “It is one marked by renewed strength, unity and purpose. I write in my capacity as the outgoing Coordinating Chairman of NIDO-Worldwide, having had the honour of serving in this rotational role on behalf of the Americas.
“I am deeply grateful for the cooperation and commitment demonstrated by our continental bodies throughout my tenure.
“Together, we pursued the vision of a more effective, united and relevant NIDO across all regions. I believe we made notable progress in advancing our collective mandates.
“As is the custom within our global structure, which comprises five continental bodies, I will now be handing over the rotational leadership of the Coordinating Chairmanship to the current Chairman of NIDO Europe, Sir Chibuzo Ubochi”.
Ubani explained that he had observed Ubochi’s leadership as Chairman of NIDO UK South and his previous tenure as Legal Adviser to the NIDO-Worldwide Coordinating Platform, to express confidence in the latter’s ability to lead the organisation.
“I am confident in his capacity to fulfill this responsibility with vision, integrity and diplomatic skill.
“He is well acquainted with the complexities of our global structure and is well-positioned to continue strengthening and advancing a more focused and impactful NIDO Worldwide.
“As he assumes this role, I urge all continental chairs, executives and members to extend the same cooperation and collegiality accorded me to him.
“The task ahead requires a united front, focused energy and shared commitment free from unnecessary distractions and geared solely toward the progress of our global diaspora, and the development of our homeland,” he said. (NAN)
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