El Sisi joins UN climate roundtable
Last night’s talk shows focused on President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s participation in UN climate talks yesterday. Hosted by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson ahead of the general debate, the Informal Roundtable on Climate Action brought together representatives from 25 nations representing developed countries, emerging economies and low-income nations to discuss global efforts to tackle climate change.
El Sisi steered the conversation towards GERD: Attending the session via video link, El Sisi spoke of the need to tackle factors that are intensifying the negative effects of climate change on Egypt. Without naming names, the president called on countries to prevent countries from building dams on international rivers, and aggravating water scarcity, drought, land desertification and food insecurity.
He also formally threw Egypt’s hat in the ring to host the 2022 climate summit: El Sisi announced that Egypt would bid to host the 2022 UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) in what he said would be a “fundamental turning point” in international efforts to fight climate change.
Also from the meeting: Johnson urged developed countries to meet their commitment to provide USD 100 bn in climate finance annually, ahead of the Glasgow COP26 climate summit in November.
Covering the meeting on the airwaves last night: Kelma Akhira (watch, runtime: 1:47 | 2:26), Al Hayah Al Youm (watch, runtime: 23:42 | 5:31) and Ala Mas’ouleety (watch, runtime: 10:26 | 4:32).
Also on the talk shows last night: The first optional ins. policy for Egyptians living and working abroad, announced by Emigration Minister Nabila Makram, caught the attention of Al Hayah Al Youm (watch, runtime: 1:54) and Al Hadath Al Youm (watch, runtime: 4:36). The initiative is being implemented in cooperation with the Ins. Federation of Egypt, the Financial Regulatory Authority (FRA), and the Interior Ministry. The final details of the policy will be announced this week or early next week, Makram said in a phone interview with Al Tase’a’s Youssef El Husseiny (watch, runtime: 4:15).