His Holiness Pope Francis, Pope of the Catholic Church, in a special meeting, on Monday, May 29, received His Excellency Advisor Muhammad Abdul Salam, Secretary-General of the Council of Muslim Wise, and His Excellency Ambassador Majed Al-Swedi, Director-General and Special Representative to the President of the United Nations for the Twenty-eighth Session of the United Nations Framework Agreement on Climate Change.
During the meeting, the possibility of launching a joint initiative on climate change, in preparation for the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference, was discussed; aimed at engaging religious leaders, religious institutions, and civil society organizations in achieving the goals of the conference.
The initiative calls on all religious institutions, religious leaders and civil society organizations around the world to unite efforts to achieve a common goal of protecting the planet Earth; the Common House for all humanity, the initiative also aims to leverage on the role of religions in consolidating bridges of communication between countries, cultures and peoples, and opening up new horizons for climate action. The initiative is also based on a solid conviction on the importance of the role of religious leaders and religious institutions in providing practical solutions to address the negative effects of ongoing climate change.
The meeting also discussed the possibility of establishing an interfaith and cultural dialogue wing at the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference, to serve as a special platform for enriching enlightened religious dialogue and the exchange of knowledge and experiences in this field, rather than being a platform for interfaith and cultures dialogue, highlighting the crucial role in drawing on religious insights and values in Addressing the climate crisis
The United Arab Emirates is hosting its 28th session of the United Nations Framework Agreement on Climate Change, from November 1 to December 10, 2020, aiming to find effective solutions to address the negative impacts of climate change, as one of the global challenges that threaten life on the surface of this planet.
The Vatican alongside the Muslim Council of Elders and and the Presidency of the (COP28) Conference are discussing the launch of an initiative aimed at involving religious institutions and leaders to address the challenges of climate change
His Holiness Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, received in private Audience, on May 29, H.E. Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders, and H.E. Ambassador Majid Al-Suwaidi, Director-General and Special Representative of the UAE Presidency for COP28.
During the Audience, they shared the possibility of launching a joint initiative on climate change in preparation for and on the occasion of the upcoming COP28, in order to involve religious institutions, leaders, and civil society organizations in addressing the goals of COP28.
The initiative will call on all religious institutions, leaders, and civil society organizations worldwide to unite towards achieving the shared goal of protecting the Earth, our common home. It aims to build on the role of religions in bridging communication between nations, cultures, and individuals, and opening new horizons for climate action. The initiative will be driven by the firm conviction of the important role of religious leaders and institutions in driving practical solutions to address the detrimental consequences of climate change.
During the Audience, the possibility of creating an interfaith and intercultural dialogue pavilion at COP28 was also considered. This space could be dedicated to enlightened religious discourse and knowledge exchange, serving as a platform for dialogue between religions and cultures and highlighting the crucial role of religious perspectives and values in addressing the climate crisis.
The United Arab Emirates is hosting the COP28 conference from November 30 to December 12, 2023, aiming to find effective solutions to mitigate the negative impact of climate change as a global challenge that threatens life on this planet.