COP22: Ban Ki-Moon Pays Tribute To King Mohammed VI

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has paid tribute to King Mohammed VI, the Moroccan government and people, expressing his gratitude and heartfelt thanks for the Monarch’s decision to host the 22nd UN climate change conference in Marrakech.
“Throughout my tenure as UN Chief, I have worked closely with His Majesty the King and I am looking forward to meet again with the Sovereign”, said the UN Secretary General at a press conference held at COP22.
He also stressed the importance of the UN conference convening in Morocco in a bid to enable world leaders, decision-makers, businessmen, civil society activists, ecologists, bankers…to come together and unify stands, goals and actions to counter climate change challenges.
This landmark conference reflects the leadership of Morocco, said the UN Secretary General, noting that Morocco is an important member of the United Nations, a key regional actor in Africa and in the MENA region.
Mr. Ban Ki-Moon also hailed Morocco’s contributions to peace-keeping operations and security around the world. The North African Kingdom stands out in the region thanks to its democratic institutions, its noteworthy actions for sustainable development and serious efforts to tackle climate change, added the UN Chief, saying that he is counting on the leadership of the Moroccan Sovereign to enable COP22 achieve its goals.
According to experts, the holding of COP22 in the North African country is an international recognition of Morocco’s efforts to boost renewable energies and environment-friendly economy.
Morocco has pledged to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 32 by 2030. In its “Intended Nationally Determined Contribution” (INDC) to address climate change to UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC,) the country has unveiled an ambitious plan to increase the share of renewable electricity capacity to 42 pc in 2020 and to 52 pc by 2030.