PRIME Minister Moustafa Madbouli’s chairing of a full-power meeting of the Higher Ad Hoc Committee on Preparations for COP27 summit last Thursday indicated that interdepartmental coordination is both in action and at the highest level to mobilise all assets for the success of the big event that will take place on the land of Egypt in November this year. In particular, the participation of the cabinet ministers of foreign affairs, environment, planning, international co-operation, communications and information technology, transport, finance and civil aviation in the online meeting, together with the South Sinai Governor and representatives of all government departments concerned pointed to the wide-based and meticulous efforts the state has already launched in preparation for the Sharm el-Sheikh summit. As they develop week after week, these preparations cover almost all components deemed necessary for the fructification of the global event, be they organisation and logistical or related to the topics the summit is due to address.
In terms of organisational and logistical aspects, the prime minister emphasised during the meeting that projects to develop Sharm el-Sheikh’s infrastructure in a way that can meet the requirements of a big international event which is due to see thousands of delegates and participants in addition to attracting large international following are being regularly followed up, especially including the works under way to upgrade the efficiency of the city’s roads, international airport and other facilities that are required to provide the large number of participants and guests with smooth and comfortable services. On this point, Transport Minister Kamel el-Wazir reportedly outlined to the ad hoc committee a plan to operate clean energy buses, in addition to drawing up a timetable for bus and other public vehicle traffic in order to meet the needs of the UN secretariat and the organising committee. A significant aspect of this plan is the co-operation between the Transport Ministry, the provincial administration and the CIT Ministry in launching mobile apps to guide guests and bus traffic operators, in addition to designing guiding boards at clean energy and electric bus stations and terminals. Of relevance to these efforts are the projects, due to be started shortly, to build three solar power stations.
In parallel to these organisational and logistical arrangements, Egypt is moving energetically to develop the political and diplomatic accord needed for the Sharm el-Sheikh summit to achieve the very hopes that countries the world over pin on it. In the course of Egypt’s ongoing consultations with the UN and several countries, the file of adaptability policies programmes is receiving noticeable emphasis, as Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukri told the ad hoc committee’s meeting. Given that the question of adaptability programmes featured high in Glasgow summit debates, the Sharm el-Sheikh conference would represent an opportunity for world countries to bring their views closer on commonly agreed approaches; hence Egypt’s keenness to contribute to the formulation of such an accord of views.
Discussion about this post