While world leaders, including from the World Travel and Tourism Industry are currently meeting for COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Conference, deadly fighting between Hamas and Israel just restarted.
The UN agreed climate action can’t wait.
While the host country UAE is a key geopolitical partner in the region, the summit’s representative says the focus will stay on climate.
Indonesian President Widodo calls on the US “to do more to stop the atrocities in Gaza,” declaring that a “ceasefire is a must for humanity.
“You don’t have to pick a side, you can stand with Israel and care about innocent civilians in Palestine” The Liberal Democrats’ Layla Moran shares her view on the Israel-Gaza war, after sharing she has lost a family member during the conflict
“It’s increasingly frustrating,” Racquel Moses, U.N. global climate ambassador for the Caribbean and CEO of the Caribbean Climate-Smart Accelerator, told Devex. “We’re all fighting about the pieces on the table when the table itself is at stake.”
When COP 28 opened its doors this morning, eight people have been killed and dozens injured in Gaza.
The Essential Role the UAE has on Climate Change, Gaza, and Israel
When COP28 opened Israeli warplanes were dropping leaflets on civilians in Bani Suhaila and Qarara, Gaza to evacuate.
Many view the United Arab Emirates, the host of GOP 28 an important player in the region due to its temporary seat in the U.N. Security Council, the normalization of its relationship with Israel in 2020, and its recent membership in the BRICs group.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres acknowledged last week, that it will be difficult to ignore the elephant in the room. “It is clear that we have a distraction about the big challenges that the international community faces about climate change.”
137 Countries including Palestine & Israel are in Dubai
Over 137 countries are expected to be represented at COP 28 by heads of state or government, according to a provisional list, including Israel and Palestine. U.S. President Joe Biden does not plan to attend, but US Vice President Kamala Harris will be in Dubai along with John Kerry.
Peace Through Tourism Failed
It appeared the attempt by Ajay Prakashm president of the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism a week ago failed. In welcoming the stop of fighting in Gaza and Israel 6 days ago, he said a week ago:
“On behalf of the global travel and tourism industry, one of the drivers of world peace, we also urge all parties to take this critical window and do everything possible to open this window wider and stop the suffering of humans.”
World Tourism Network wants the 137 countries attending COP28 to do something
Today the World Tourism Network appealed to the 137 participating countries in Dubai to do something.
Alain St. Ange, the VP for Government relations for the World Tourism Network, and a former tourism minister for Seychelles explains: “We don’t know what to do, but 137 countries at one event is an opportunity to talk sense, so the suffering on all sites in this terrible conflict threatening world peace, climate change progress, and of course the global travel and tourism industry can be stopped. Therefore we are not completely speechless. I am scratching my head about today’s development, and our appeal is: Do something!”
SOURCE: COP 28: The Fight is on in Dubai and Gaza – Do Something!
