Belize Gearing Up for COP28

The twenty-eighth Conference of the Parties (COP28) will take place in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. It’s a two-week global event, marking a pivotal moment for countries across the world to collectively address the urgent challenges posed by climate change. Participating countries are expected to present updated and more ambitious commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, aligning with the goals outlined in the Paris Agreement. Belize will be sending delegates, including several ministers and C.E.O.’s. A list of what was believed to be the entire Belizean delegation was posted on social media, attracting criticism. However, this morning government issued a release saying that it condemned “the attempts by members of the United Democratic Party to misinform the public about Belize’s delegation”. The ministry says that there is currently no finalized list for COP28; the initial expression of interest in participation is based on thematic areas, and the list undergoes revisions before finalization shortly before the conference. It says that government officials lead negotiations on behalf of the Alliance of Small Island Developing States and CARICOM and that all Belize officials are funded by external sources. This is the case with News 5. Our journalist Hipolito Novelo will be in Dubai to bring you the latest news from COP28. He successfully applied for funding from the Commonwealth Fund. He is one of five journalists across the Caribbean region being supported by the fund.