Judge Mohamed Abdelsalam, Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Elders said that the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) helps unite the world to combat climate change, which has become humanity’s greatest challenge.
In a statement to the Emirates News Agency (WAM), Abdulsalam said that the ‘Faith Pavilion,’ which is being held for the first time in the history of the Conferences of the Parties, serves as a bridge for communication between scholars and leaders of religions and among all those concerned with climate change, and stresses the importance of standing together as one in confronting climate change.
The Secretary-General expressed pride in the initiative to establish a pavilion for religions at the conference in the UAE, hoping for its continuation in future sessions to enhance the role of religions in protecting the environment.
Judge Abdelsalam said that the UAE played a pivotal role in hosting the COP28 conference, setting a new stand
ard for global climate action. This was underscored by the signing of the ‘Confluence of Conscience: Uniting for Planetary Resurgence’ also known as ‘The Abu Dhabi Interfaith Statement for COP28’ by His Holiness Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, and His Eminence the Grand Imam, Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, the Sheikh of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif.
This landmark declaration, also endorsed by 28 religious leaders, signifies the unwavering commitment of faith communities to support global climate action. ‘We are committed to building upon this collective effort for the betterment of humanity,’ he added.
Abdelsalam pointed out that religions are always influential, present, and effective in solving all global challenges, especially climate change, as well as holding a variety of events every day in the presence of religious leaders, showing that religious communities play a crucial role in establishing sustainable, prosperous and advanced societies.
Source: Emirates News Agency