Niue delegation of fourteen attends first day of COP28 and opening ceremony

Today has officially kick-started the 28th session of the Conference of the Parties COP28 that is currently taking place in the city of Dubai of the United Arab Emirates. 

Almost 200 countries have gathered together for the official opening ceremony for COP28 that will continue from today 30 November until 12 December 2023. 

There are fourteen members of Niues delegation being represented at this conference. This includes head of delegation Premier Dalton Tagelagi, Minister of Natural Resources Esa Mona Ainuu, Director of Niue Meteorological Services Rossy Mitiepo, Director of Project Management and Coordination Unit (PMCU) Felicia Talagi, Niue Ocean Wide (NOW) President Coral Pasisi, NOW Vice President Avi Rubin, NOW representative JinNam Hopotoa, Department of Environment Climate Change Officer Taveli Pavihi, Premiers Personal Assistant Tagaloa Morrissey, Government communications officer Anzee Mougavalu, Negotiator Nola Morrissey, Ashleigh Pihigia, National Project Manager Daniel Makaia and youth representative Sariah Magaoa.

Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry who was the COP27 President delivered his final remarks in the plenary before handing over the role of COP Presidency for this 28th session to CEO and United Arab Emirates (UAE) special envoy for climate change Dr. Sultan Al Jaber. 

Dr Sultan expressed his deep concerns and commitments on increasing climate action specifically in areas of Global Stocktake (GST), adaptation, mitigation and most importantly financing. 

“The UAE is deeply proud and humbled to be hosting COP28 at a pivotal time for this critical decay of climate action…Since Paris, we have made some progress. But we also know that the road we have been on will not get us to our destination in time…the new road starts with the decision of the global stocktake, a decision that is ambitious, the correct course and accelerates action for 2030.” 

“We can finally bring adaptation, mitigation and means of implementation which includes finance under one umbrella. United around higher ambition, giving clear direction on Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and connecting everything we agree here to practical action in the real world,” says Dr Sultan. 

One of the major breakthroughs seen in today’s opening ceremony was the adoption of the Loss and Damage Fund that was agreed unanimously, marking yet another historical step forward for COP. 

However, it does not end here. There is still more work to be done specifically in climate financing, expressed by Minister of Natural Resources Hon. Esa Mona Ainuu when asked about her expectations of the outcomes for COP28. 

“We need big countries to commit to what they have pledged. It’s urgent for us in the Pacific because a lot of our areas are basically impacted greatly by climate change, cyclones, typhoons, submerged islands, challenges with our land, ocean acidification, there’s a whole range of challenges that we have but without this funding a lot of our work can not be done.” 

“The goal for me is to ensure that we support each other as a one voice from the pacific to call on those who have pledged to commit, make sure the funding of the new pledge will come to us and not wait another year where we go back to another COP. It’s enough. People are suffering, we are suffering. Something needs to happen,” says Minister Ainuu. 

Minister Ainuu continues as the Pacific Climate Champion for Gender and Social Inclusion at COP28.

For more information and updates on COP28, visit https://www.cop28.com