With more than 200 panellists, a total of 44 side events to the COP 25 negotiations took place in the EUROCLIMA+ pavilion.
December 13, Madrid, Spain. EUROCLIMA+ took an active role during the COP25 held in Madrid. For the first time, the Programme organised a pavilion throughout the two weeks of the Summit. “This space became a meeting point for Latin American delegations, allowing us to meet with each other as well as with the representatives of other countries. The European Union as a strategic partner of each country and each country as a strategic partner with its Latin American brothers,” said Alfonso Alonzo, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources of Guatemala.
For his part, Panama's Environment Minister, Milciades Concepción, stressed the importance of having a space dedicated to Latin America because “it is the first time that we have had a pavilion at a COP where we can meet and reach agreement among ourselves, especially because of the challenges imposed by the Paris Agreement,” he explained.
It is estimated that 1500 people participated in the different events offered in the EUROCLIMA+ pavilion. Figures also showed that delegates of the 18 member countries of the Programme participated. Around 45% of the participants were women of the 200 panellists and 4000 people visiting during the two weeks of the conference.
“We had high participation in terms of audience quantity, but above all in the quality of the presentations. Some 3 executive secretaries of the United Nations attended various events, 15 ministers from the region, presidential delegates, directors and leaders of various projects attended; in addition, we held several very high level bilateral meetings,” said Felice Zaccheo, Head of Unit, Directorate General for International Cooperation and Development of the European Union. “This space became the “home of Latin America” and as the European Union we are very pleased to be a bridge for this alliance between the two regions,” concluded Zaccheo.
A few months after completing 10 years of uninterrupted work, the EUROCLIMA+ programme achieved a space at COP25 with high political representation, allowing for closer ties between partner institutions and the posing of joint challenges in a climate of trust at the highest level of governmental representation. A privileged place to listen to the voice of the entire region, its demands and problems, which were addressed in a total of 44 events promoted by the programme’s implementing agencies and partner countries, as well as different international organisations.
The wide reception of the different debates allowed us to showcase a regional programme that is consolidated as a space for the exchange of experiences in climate policies, a platform of best practices for learning among peers, with a horizontal cooperation model based on dialogue among the parties and attention to the demands of the countries.
Throughout the two weeks of the COP25, it was possible to learn about the different initiatives that are being developed under the framework of the programme's lines of action: Plans and Policies, Climate Financing, Transparency and Data, Actor Articulation, Action for Climate Empowerment and Gender and Vulnerable Groups.
More than 200 speakers, including 10 ministers and 10 deputy ministers from Latin American countries, 5 ministers from other regions, representatives of the general directorates of the European Union’s DG DEVCO and DG CLIMA, and senior officials from different United Nations agencies, have contributed to analysing the reality, setbacks and challenges of the Latin American region to address the great global challenge of climate change.
Each of the events that took place in the pavilion were recorded on the @EUROCLIMAplus Facebook Live page. The invitation remains open for you to relive them: https://www.euroclima.org/cop25/index.php/en/
Links of interest:
General video of twitter closing: https://twitter.com/EUROCLIMA_UE_AL/status/1205499080278974464?s=20
General closing video Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/1721530131489324/posts/2173704289605237?sfns=mo
First week video summary: https://twitter.com/euroclima_ue_al/status/1204079863797362699
Photographs: https://www.flickr.com/photos/151665002@N06/albums
General videos COP25: https://bit.ly/2PIkVHJ
About EUROCLIMA+
EUROCLIMA+ is a programme funded by the European Union to promote environmentally sustainable and climate-resilient development in 18 Latin American countries, particularly for the benefit of the most vulnerable populations. The Programme is implemented under the synergistic work of seven agencies: Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), French Development Agency (AFD), Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), Expertise France (EF), International and Ibero-American Foundation for Administration and Public Policies (FIIAPP), the German society for international cooperation (GIZ), and UN Environment.
Contacts
For more information about EUROCLIMA+, contact Alexandra Cortés:
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