By
Edmund Smith-Asante, Marrakech
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| Mr Abdeslam Bekrate addressing the African journalists at the COP 22 site in Marrakech. |
The Head
of Logistics, Security and Safety at the Ministry of the Interior, Morocco, Mr
Abdeslam Bekrate, has indicated Morocco’s readiness to host the 22nd United
Nations Conference of Parties Climate Change Conference (COP 22) in November
this year.
Most
part of the remaining space at the climate change village would be dedicated to
parking, while the infrastructure would include two large meeting rooms,
several other syndicate rooms, a restaurant and exhibition space.
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| The COP 22 Site Plan. |
When the
journalists visited in mid-July, the sewerage and water systems for the village
had already been completed and the first batch of materials for construction
were expected the next day by train from Casablanca for the second phase of
construction to begin.
Construction
would be done by a mix of foreign contractors with experience in providing
similar infrastructure at previous conferences in Peru and France, as well as
local contractors using prefabricated materials, which would all be dismantled
once the conference is over.
The
deadline for construction of the conference facility is October 15, 2016, and
the group of journalists were assured that the project could be finished in
three months.
Topics
for discussion
According
to Mr Bekrate, 10 main topics expected to be the focus of the global climate
change conference include, women empowerment, finance and climate, water,
climate and immigration,
Security
The
Minister of the Interior, Mr Mohamed Hassad, said adequate plans had been put
in place to ensure the security of the over 20,000 delegates and over 1,500 journalists
who would cover the over 10-day climate change conference.
He also
assured that all technical difficulties associated with travel from other
African countries to Morocco would be effectively dealt with to ensure smooth
travel of delegates to COP 22.
For his
part, the Delegate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Nasser Bourita, said
messages had been sent to from the organising committee all of Morocco’s
embassies and consulates around the world to facilitate easy travel of
delegates to the conference.
“Because
COP 22 is an emblem for Africa, it is very important for Africa, it is a
priority for Africa because all the problems that are going to be discussed in
COP 22 are relate to Africa as well,” he stated.
Touching
on security, Mr Bourita said the ministry was collaborating with all the
security services to ensure an incident free and successful conference for all
the delegates.
Press
movement
In an
interaction with some officials of the steering committee of COP 22, the
journalists were told that as “the venue itself would operate as a UN
territory, so the measures that would be put here would be as if you were at a
UN General Assembly in New York.
 |
| The journalists in a group photo after visiting the COP 22 site. |
“With
1,500 press, it is not possible for 1,500 press to be at the opening ceremony
so the organiserd of the media will take representatives from different groups
and as space will allow they would go to the opening ceremony.”
The
committee said with the exception of specific meetings where there was going to
be a select number of representatives, there would be free movement of
everywhere for the press at the venue of the conference.
An
official of the UN and member of the committee, Mr Yafei Gang, stated that the
focus of COP 22 would be to implement the Paris Agreement, adding that the Secretary
General of the UN, Ban Ki-Moon, was pushing for more ratification for the
agreement by member countries by October 7, 2016.
Writer’s
email: edmund.asante@graphic.com.gh
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