(Ecofin Agency) - “It is with great honor that I declare open the COP 22,” said French Minister of Environment, Ségolène Royal, launching in Marrakech, Morocco, the 22nd session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 22, on November 7, 2016. The official who was until now the COP’s president then passed her baton to Salaheddine Mezouar, Morocco’s minister of foreign affairs and cooperation, who will now assume her position.

“The whole world is watching us here in Marrakech and expects from us that we show commitment and action in the fight against global warming. Paris has issued a global commitment regarding this battle and Marrakech will give us yet a greater goal. We must all overcome this challenge to support the most vulnerable countries in that fight,” the new president said.

The aim of the new session which starts a few days after Paris Accord on climate took effect, is to effectively start drawing the roadmap which is to help achieve the goals set in the Accord. According to Mezouar, the main objective for the 11 days of discussions opened today is, “to obtain concrete commitments, from the States as well as from the civic society, especially to climate clange financing and adaption”.

“Marrakech’s COP22 is the occasion to reinforce climate action of governments’ and civic society,” said Patricia Espinosa, executive secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

At the 22nd session of COP will be present 20,000 delegates sent by 192 parties, 30,000 representatives of the civic society, more than 40 government and state’s heads.

Gwladys Johnson