Riyadh, Saudi Arabia – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Goodwill Ambassador for Climate Action for the Arab States, Michael Haddad performed a symbolic walk in the Green Zone at the venue of the UNCCD COP-16, to bring attention to the importance of adopting an integrated approach to all negotiations and actions geared towards addressing the interconnected challenges of climate change, loss of biodiversity and desertification. 

“At this critical juncture, our planet is facing intricately related crises of climate, nature and land-development, and there is no place where the impact is felt stronger than in our region—one of the fastest-warming and most water-scarce regions in the world,” asserted Abdallah Al Dardari, United Nations Assistant Secretary general and Director of UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Arab States. “I was happy to accompany our Goodwill Ambassador, Michael Haddad to underscore the critical importance of raising ambition and accelerating investment in integrated and innovative solutions that can help us address this existential challenge.”  

As one of largest implementers of environmental programming globally, UNDP champions an integrated approach to assist countries meet their obligations under the three Rio Conventions on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Desertification, and to mobilize investment at-scale to meet the challenge. UNDP also advocates for greater diversity in decision-making processes on environmental action, allowing for broad and genuine participation of local communities, including women, youth, indigenous peoples, persons with disability and most vulnerable groups. Expanded inclusion of local communities and diverse stakeholders can result in effective policymaking that ensures equitable outcomes for all. 

“Persons with Disabilities are among the most impacted by the global climate, nature and land degradation crisis, especially in countries across our Arab states region,” said Michael Haddad. “Their experience and perspectives must be taken into account in global negotiations, but more importantly, they should be supported and enabled to contribute to action to address these critical challenges—actions for Persons with Disabilities, and action by Persons with Disabilities, who are capable and ready to meet the challenge, as I hope my walk today demonstrates.” 

Haddad is a Lebanese endurance athlete, who was told that he will never walk again after a childhood accident at age six left him paralyzed from the chest down. Defying the odds, Haddad has developed his own unique way of walking with support of a simple exoskeleton. Since 2019, he has collaborated with UNDP to stage a series of walks to help raise awareness of the need for more ambitious and urgent action to address the impacts of climate change and underscore the importance of inclusion of persons with disabilities in every aspect of life.   

Representatives from civil society, the Saudi Authority of People with Disabilities, the National Center for Vegetation Development and Combating Desertification and the organizing team of UNCDD COP16 joined Haddad’s symbolic walk. 

For more information, please contact: 

Riad Sabbagh | Sr. Communication Consultant | UNDP Regional Bureau for Arab States | riad.sabbagh@undp.org  

Omer Kavuk | Communication Officer | UNDP Amman Regional Hub | omer.kavuk@undp.org 

Borhene Fakhfakh | Communication Officer | UNDP Country Office in KSA | borhene.fakhfakh@undp.org