Baghdad, Iraq, 20 November 2022 –Iraq is ranked as the fifth most vulnerable country to climate change with extreme weather events across the country demonstrating the immediate impact of climate change on Iraqi communities, making Iraq’s participation in COP27, the 27th annual United Nations Conference on Climate Change, more vital than ever. Organized by the United Nations in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, the 06-18 November conference has now closed.

The Iraqi delegation to COP27, composed of over 100 government representatives, civil society representatives, and youth and women representatives, participated in the conference with high visibility. This year was the first time Iraq had a youth delegation, with three youth representatives. Over half of the Iraqi delegation were women, who took part of the negotiations.

The Summit has closed early Sunday with a historic agreement to set up a “loss and damage” fund for developing countries, an issue that the Iraqi negotiators have heavily pushed for along with the G77 Group and the Arab Group. The Iraqi negotiators were also active in negotiating articles of the Paris Agreement regarding Carbon Markets and Technology Transfer.

The delegation participated in meetings with UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Arab States, UNFCCC, UN Regional Collaboration Centers, the Adaptation Fund, NDC Partnership, Green Climate Fun, Global Environment Facility, UNEP and UN Habitat. The delegation was successful in bringing in more technical and financial support to Iraq from the international climate funds.

UNDP Iraq Resident Representative Zena Ali-Ahmad states, “Iraq’s active participation in COP27 this year echoes the vital impact of climate change on this country. The environment is a current focus for UNDP in Iraq, including the detrimental impact of climate change on Iraq’s most vulnerable populations. UNDP will continue to support Iraq to prevent further impacts and mitigate the effects of climate change on development during Iraq’s fragile recovery period.”

The Iraqi Deputy Minister of Environment, Dr. Jasim Abdulazeez Humadi says, “This conference is of a particular importance given the serious challenges that climate change imposes on the region and the world. We are suffering from the imminent danger of drought and land degradation and drought in addition to a big decline in our water resources, and this, of course, is one of the essential issues that we are working on with a promising government program”

UNDP Iraq’s Environment, Energy, and Climate Change Programme implements projects that aim to promote environmental sustainability and community resilience through mapping and addressing the risks associated with environmental degradation, climate change and disasters, in addition to working closely with the Iraqi government through the Ministry of Environment to support the implementation of its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).

Media contact:

Mohammed Al-Bahbahanee, Communications Specialist | +964 7704 399 222