Image copyright Getty Images Image caption UAE-based charity Nature Conservation International is a leader in promoting the traditional practices of nesting falcons in Dubai
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is set to host a global conference on climate change in 2022.
The 24th session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will take place in the Jebel Ali area of Dubai, the government announced.
An UAE official said hosting the meeting would help the country’s efforts to tackle climate change.
“The UAE government is proud to host the most important international conference on the climate-change agenda,” said Amin Al-Hassani, Minister of State for Climate Change and Environment.
‘Emboldened’
He said hosting the event would promote cooperation among all countries, expressing hope that the next COP would be held in 2020 in Dubai.
Ahmed Juma Al-Kaabi, President of the Dubai International Marine Port Authority, said the UAE was an ideal host for the conference and that the UAE would host on an annual basis until 2023.
The region has made efforts to meet the challenge of climate change, said the UAE’s Minister of Climate Change and Environment, Anwar Gargash.
“The UAE has taken the initiative to host the event, as the conference is important in encouraging initiatives and legislation globally in the protection of the natural environment,” he said.
“The location of the conference makes the UAE the only place in the region able to host such an important international event in this short time,” said Mr Al-Kaabi.
The next UNFCCC meeting is set to be held in December 2018 in Katowice, Poland.
The organising committee of the conference will be chaired by Shamseddin bin Abdullah Al-Rumaithi, Minister of Environment and Water.
It will be attended by thousands of delegates, delegations and experts, with some attending as delegates or experts only, according to the UAE’s environment ministry.