The Dominican Republic, in collaboration with the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) and the UN Foundation, cohosted an event with IPI on September 9th entitled “Latin America and the Caribbean: The Road to Glasgow.” The event helped to galvanize efforts toward, and promote the goals of, the Paris Agreement on climate change and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time, and in this year’s 26th Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 26), we need to work together to take action, increase ambition and share good practices and lessons learned. COP 26 will provide an opportunity to get the world back on track on the commitments made by countries under the Paris Agreement and limit global temperature below 1.5C. The climate challenge can only be solved through exponential concerted and collaborative urgent action.

This event provided a space for UN member states, regional organizations, the UN system, and other stakeholders to discuss how to address climate change and strengthen mechanisms for climate action. Panelists presented recommendations, best practices, and lessons learned that can inform efforts to achieve climate goals in Latin America and the Caribbean. The event concluded with an interactive Q&A and discussion.

Welcoming Remarks:
Dr. Adam Lupel, IPI Vice President

Opening Remarks:
H.E. Mr. José Blanco Conde, Permanent Representative of the Dominican Republic to the UN

Speakers:
Ms. Milagros De Camps, Vice Minister of International Cooperation from the Dominican Republic’s Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources
H.E. Mr. Walton Webson, Permanent Representative of Antigua and Barbuda to the UN and Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS)
Mr. Selwin Hart, Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Climate Action and Assistant Secretary-General for the Climate Action Team
Ms. Jimena Leiva Roesch, IPI Senior Fellow and Head of Peace and Sustainable Development

Moderator:
Ms. Sofia Borges, Senior Vice President and Head of the New York Office, UN Foundation