President Rashid: Government steps determine Iraq's need for climate tech

INA - BAGHDAD

President of the Republic, Abdul Latif Rashid, confirmed on Tuesday that the government has taken steps to determine Iraq's needs for climate technologies.

"These challenges greatly affect the countries of the world, especially developing countries, and threaten their water, food, health and societal security," said the President of the Republic in a speech during the climate conference held in Baku, Azerbaijan - followed by the Iraqi News Agency - INA.

He noted that "climate justice must be at the heart of our deliberations, and it is a human right, and we look forward to these negotiations leading to tangible steps such as activating the Loss and Damage Fund, which was approved to be established at the twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties."

"Iraq is suffering from record heat waves, dust storms, and declining rainfall. This led to the shrinkage of water bodies and green spaces, increased drought, desertification, as well as the deterioration of natural lands and biodiversity," calling on the countries of the region that will be affected, like us, by climate change and the efforts made to confront it to "form a negotiating group within this process to coordinate among themselves to work together."

Rashid explained that "Iraq is a country whose economy depends largely on fossil fuels, as it is affected by climate change on one hand and by the measures taken to confront it on the other hand. The Iraqi government has prepared a set of national documents and strategies to contribute to fulfilling Iraq's voluntary commitments to the Paris Agreement, such as the Technology Needs Assessment Document and the Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Document, which aim to identify Iraq's needs for climate technologies," directing an appeal to "the major economies in the world to strengthen their commitments to climate action." 

"Iraq is about to complete the preparation of the climate investment plan, which aims to pave practical paths for the public and private sectors to fulfill Iraq's climate commitments by attracting investments and mobilizing financial resources to confront the challenges of climate change and move towards a more sustainable future."

On the other hand, the President of the Republic called on the international community to "assume its responsibilities in imposing a ceasefire and recognizing the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of their state with Al-Quds as its capital on all their national land."