A devastating Israeli resumption of war in Gaza on Friday overshadowed the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, with some delegates walking out, leaders canceling their speeches and others not attending the event.

In his speech, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said, “As a result of Israel’s occupation, we cannot avoid facing the humanitarian crisis in our neighboring Palestinian territories, which cannot be justified under any circumstances.” He considered it a “crime against humanity and a war crime”.

In turn, the presidents of Colombia and Cuba described the war as “genocide”.

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, was not included in the final list of speakers after his name appeared.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was scheduled to be the first speaker, but did not attend the summit.

“As we see in the region, conflicts are causing great suffering and emotion,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the summit. “We heard reports of renewed bombs in Gaza.”

Iranian delegates walked out of the conference in protest at the sudden Israeli presence, which the head of the delegation, Energy Minister Ali Akbar Mehrabian, described as “contrary to the goals and directions of the conference.”

Iranian official media reported on Thursday that President Ibrahim Raisi would not attend the conference and that Mehrabian would act in his stead.

Iraqi President Abdul Latif Rashid used his speech to condemn the aggression against Gaza, calling on the international community to “stand firm”.

A war against innocent people

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said his country was “appalled by the ongoing tragedy in Gaza, and that the war against innocent people in Palestine is a war crime that must stop.”

Other leaders have also criticized the war in Gaza, but Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi has not spoken about it.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog canceled his speech, a day after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas canceled his participation in the conference, as the war in Gaza dominated the conference’s deliberations.

So far, the Israeli occupation of Gaza has led to the fall of more than 15,000 martyrs, most of them women and children.

Israel says 1,200 Israeli soldiers and settlers have been killed as a result of Operation Al-Aqsa flooding, which was launched by the opposition on October 7 last year in settlements around Gaza.

The Palestinian opposition said the move came in retaliation for crimes of aggression against civilians in the West Bank and Gaza and the desecration of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque.

It is noteworthy that the United Arab Emirates, the host country of the conference, is one of the Arab countries that signed default agreements with Israel in 2020.

Dubai Municipality adopted seven strategic commitments to ensure sustainability in its current and future projects, while it provided a sustainable model for government sites, within the activities of the COP28 conference, by building its site using 3D printing from sustainable, eco-friendly materials.

Marwan Al-Janahi, an engineer at the building licensing department of Dubai Municipality and one of the supervisors of the municipality’s platform at “COP 28”, said the seven commitments are climate neutrality, increasing the area of ​​reserves, and doubling green areas. , achieving complete sustainability of buildings, sustainability of sanitation and achieving zero waste, in landfills, in addition to complete treatment of wastewater in the emirate.

Al Janahi added that the Emirate of Dubai is working to achieve a “zero” percentage of waste in buildings, noting that the amount of construction waste recorded by the Emirate of Dubai in 2019 was 65 million tonnes, of which around 15 million tonnes were generated. Thrown in the waste, the rest was recycled.

He stressed that Dubai has succeeded in achieving the concepts of a sustainable economy through the Dubai Green Building System and following the Al Safaat method of constructing buildings in the emirate in accordance with green building standards and requirements.

He pointed out that during COP 28, the municipality is highlighting a set of projects and initiatives dedicated to promoting sustainable pathways in Dubai, such as the Digital Twin Project for the City of Dubai and the use of advanced technology, including applications of artificial intelligence. , the Safat system for assessing the carbon footprint of buildings in an urban environment, reducing and sequestering waste, reducing and eliminating emissions from the source, and assessing green buildings. Dubai Municipality supports the COP28 conference, hosted by the UAE, as a turning point for achieving concrete progress on global climate action, with a focus on achieving sustainable economic and social development, promoting cooperation, partnerships and coordinating climate action efforts. To reflect the organizational values ​​of participation, positivity, competition and efficiency.

On the sidelines of the conference, Dubai Municipality organized a series of interactive workshops promoting international participation from different parts of the world, on key topics such as imagining best sustainable practices and awareness of eco-friendly practices. Several dialogue sessions hosted by the global event, experts speak, present the results of its many strategic initiatives in the fields of evaluating, classifying and rewarding international, green building practices, establishing laboratories supporting the sustainability of future cities, and benefiting from data analysis.

7 Affirmations

– The climate is neutral.

– Increase in reserve area.

– Doubling of green areas.

– Achieving complete sustainability of buildings.

– Sustainability of healthcare.

– Filtration of waste in garbage cans.

– Complete sewage treatment in the emirate.

Abu Dhabi Police has called on the public to obey traffic rules and regulations, not to drive carelessly and recklessly during celebrations, to observe the requirements and restrictions on the decoration of vehicles, not to behave recklessly on the roads, and to avoid accidents. Happy 52nd Union Day holiday, and wish them a safe and happy holiday.

It emphasized its interest in providing a safe environment to enable community members to celebrate the occasion by preventing anything that disturbs the peace and dealing with emergency situations on main roads, forest areas or places reserved for celebrations.

Abu Dhabi Police has asked the public to cooperate with the instructions of the police and security personnel, especially those attending celebrations and those visiting the wild areas, and to avoid negative behaviour.

It announced that it is ready to increase the number of patrols to protect the celebrations and distribute them according to traffic density points in shopping centers and various event venues in the emirate to improve their security features.

It warned against standing on the roof of a vehicle or leaning out of its windows while driving, making spectacular movements and reckless behavior on the roads, obstructing traffic or blocking the road for others and not stopping at unmarked places.

He called on drivers to pay attention to the movement of pedestrians on various roads, slow down near crossings, give them priority in crossing, and increase caution and attention to children, especially near parks and tourist spots.

He urged families to keep a watch on their children and not take advantage of the joy of Union Day by parading and racing vehicles on the roads. Others are at risk.

Abu Dhabi Police has advised parents using motorcycles, especially on land, to observe public safety regulations and not drive recklessly to avoid accidents. Designated to ride and ride bicycles, and ensures the safety and fit of the bike. Availability of front and rear lights, tires and first aid kit.

He pointed out that the Command and Control Center in the Operations Department in the Central Operations Department operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week to receive calls and reports to Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra cities. Ensuring speedy arrival of special police teams to respond to emergency calls and emergency situations and protect lives, property and national interests.