The summit, which was organized by the Muslim Council of Elders in partnership with the Presidency of the Conference of the Parties (COP28), the United Nations Development Program and the Ministry of Tolerance and Coexistence, brought together 28 religious leaders who signed the document “Forum of Conscience: Uniting Efforts for the Renaissance of Planet Earth,” the Abu Dhabi Interfaith Statement on COP28. “, to confirm the commitment of religious leaders to address climate change, and to contribute to raising the ceiling of climate ambition, in preparation for the launch of “COP28” scheduled to be held in Dubai at the end of this month. The issuance of this statement came after months of cooperation and joint work between the concerned parties and its signatories.
During the summit, Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and President of the Conference of the Parties (COP28), received the “Abu Dhabi Interfaith Statement on COP28” from the religious leaders present, and promised them to convey their message to the world at “COP28.”
Consolidating the principles of openness and tolerance
Al Jaber delivered a speech in which he pointed out that, “Thanks to the leadership’s vision, the principles of openness, tolerance, and inclusion of all have been established among the most important societal values in the UAE, and that in line with this vision, the COP28 presidency praises the efforts of religious leaders to raise awareness and advocate for confronting the repercussions of climate change, in particular In light of the great importance of the role of these leaders in instilling values and principles that urge individuals and societies to do good and protect the planet, His Excellency called on religious leaders to stimulate climate action in their societies.”
He stressed the support of the conference presidency for the call made by leaders and symbols of global religions to join hands, unify efforts, and activate participation in climate action, in order to build a better future for humanity everywhere. His Excellency described the “Abu Dhabi Joint Interfaith Statement on COP28” as an important declaration of intent that confirms the urgent need for action. Unity and solidarity, taking responsibility and being hopeful.
Sultan Al Jaber praised the leaders of religions and beliefs present who unite religions around one message for all of humanity, who assume the responsibility of caring for the beliefs and supporting the aspirations of the vast majority of people, and who contribute to raising the voices and opinions of many marginalized communities.
He pointed out that their participation in this summit confirms the ability of humanity to unite around climate action despite multi-caused global divisions, and to bring together various religions and beliefs to unite efforts behind a common goal, and also emphasizes the importance of their role in motivating humans to protect nature and planet Earth from climate threats.
“Abu Dhabi Statement”
The “Abu Dhabi Joint Interfaith Statement on COP28” calls for taking decisive action to preserve the possibility of avoiding global temperature rises exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius, and to support communities affected by the repercussions of climate change, and points to the common concerns of humanity due to the escalation in the severity of the negative effects of climate change that threaten Planet Earth, and its signatories, representatives of religions and indigenous beliefs, affirmed their commitment to joining hands and unifying efforts to address the global climate change crisis.
The interfaith leaders’ summit came two days after an extraordinary meeting in Abu Dhabi regarding the activation of the Loss and Damage Treatment Fund and its financing arrangements, to help individuals most vulnerable to the repercussions of climate change recover from climate disasters. Sultan Al Jaber stressed that the meeting constituted a decisive step that contributes to activating the fund and its financing mechanisms, and praised the parties. All that have succeeded in joining forces and unifying their efforts to prove the ability of multilateral action to meet the needs of everyone, especially the individuals and communities most vulnerable to the repercussions of climate change.
His Excellency Al Jaber explained that “COP28” constitutes a decisive milestone for reaching a global consensus on ambitious climate negotiation outcomes and outcomes for the benefit of peoples, communities, families and individuals everywhere, and called on religious leaders to send a message of tolerance, peace, optimism and well-being from the UAE to the world.
He welcomed what was stated in the statement of the leaders of religions, and reiterated that “COP28” will be the most inclusive conference of the parties, based on the UAE’s awareness of the necessity of cooperation, solidarity, and concerted efforts to achieve success, and the importance of constructive partnerships in achieving the desired progress across various fields.
4 pillars
It is noteworthy that the presidency of “COP28” developed an action plan based on four pillars to preserve the possibility of achieving the 1.5 degree Celsius goal while ensuring that no one is left behind, which are: accelerating the achievement of an orderly, responsible, fair, logical and gradual transition in the energy sector, developing climate financing mechanisms, and protecting people. nature, improving lives and livelihoods, and supporting the previous pillars by fully including everyone in the conference’s work system.
The statement focused on including everyone, and called for a comprehensive dialogue during and after the Conferences of the Parties, with religious leaders and representatives of communities most vulnerable to the repercussions of climate change, youth and women’s organizations, and the scientific and academic community, to form alliances capable of promoting the process of sustainable development.
The summit witnessed the holding of the “COP28 Council of Change Makers” event under the title “Religions and Science: Activating the Ethics of Environmental Preservation,” which brought together a number of religious and academic leaders and decision-makers to discuss mechanisms for enhancing knowledge exchange and building confidence to reach a safer and more sustainable world.
Sultan Al Jaber met with Pope Francis, the Pope of the Catholic Church, last October, to discuss the role of religious communities in addressing climate change.
The COP28 Presidency, with the Council of Muslim Elders and the United Nations Environment Programme, is co-hosting an interfaith pavilion for the first time at the Conferences of the Parties. The pavilion specializes in supporting the participation of religions in climate action. It also presents the “Abu Dhabi Joint Interfaith Statement on COP28” and organizes discussion sessions for a number of leaders. Religious, scientific and political, with the aim of building bridges of dialogue and communication between generations with the participation of young religious leaders and representatives of indigenous peoples.
List of signatories
The list of signatories to the statement included: Sheikh Muhammad Al-Duwaini, Undersecretary of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif, on behalf of His Eminence the Grand Imam A. Dr.. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif; His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Vatican, on behalf of His Holiness Pope Francis, Pope of the Catholic Church; His Holiness Bartholomew I, Ecumenical Patriarch and Archbishop of Constantinople; His Excellency Molin Ashimbayev, President of the Conference of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions in Astana and Chairman of the Senate of Kazakhstan; Dharma Hsien Tao, Founding Abbot of Mount Ling Jiu Buddhist Society – Buddhist Spiritual Leader; Dr. Shinkai Kuri, Chief Priest of Ninpo Tsushu Sambuzan Moryūjoji Temple; Father Grigory Matrosov, representing His Holiness Kirill I, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia.
The list also included Dr. Satpal Singh Khalsa, Sikh Dharma Ambassador to the United States of America and head of the religious and spiritual authority of the Sikh religion in the Western Hemisphere; Kumar Swami Ji, Hindu spiritual leader; Guru Amrtaswar Bananda Puri, Vice-President of the Amrta Nanda Mai sect; Dr. Acharaya Lokesh Moni, Founder and Chairman, Ahimsa Vishwa Bharti Centre; Sheikh Al-Islam Allah Shukrbazadeh, Chairman of the All-Caucasus Muslim Administration; Maureen Goodman, Director of Brahma Kumaris UK; His Eminence Bishop Jeremiah, General Bishop and President of the Egyptian Coptic Cultural Center, Assistant Secretary General of the Egyptian Family House; And Reshma Sheikh Sattar Jabbar Helou, head of the Sabian-Mandaean sect in Iraq and the world; Archbishop Julio Murray, Archbishop of the Anglican (de la) Region of Central America; Prince Hussein Burhanuddin, representative of the Sultan of the Bohra community, Mufaddal Saif al-Din; His Holiness Mar Ignatius Aphrem Karim II.
In addition to the Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, the Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church in the world; The Rev. Dr. Gerry Bailey, General Secretary of the World Council of Churches; Sheikh Yahya Khalil Thaquf, President of Nahdlatul Ulama in Indonesia; Rabbi Moshe Levin, Vice President of the Conference of European Rabbis; Ms. Beni Dougal, Principal Representative of the Baha’i International Community to the United Nations; The great guru Prof. Dr. Mohinder Singh, President of the Sikh Institute, Birmingham, England; Rabbi David Rozon, International President of Religions for Peace and former Rabbi of Ireland; Dr. Sheikh Abdullah bin Ahmed Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the King Hamad Global Center for Peaceful Coexistence, and Bishop Dr. Thomas Schirmacher; Secretary General of the World Federation of Evangelical Churches; Mrs. Debra Boudreau; CEO of the Tzu Chi Buddhist Foundation; and Mr. Tokita Hozumi, representative of the Sukio Mahikari Foundation.
The Global Religious Leaders for Climate Summit in Abu Dhabi was attended by Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence, Dr. Muhammad Al-Duwaini, Undersecretary of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif on behalf of His Eminence the Grand Imam Prof. Dr. Ahmed Al-Tayeb, Sheikh of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and Chairman of the Muslim Council of Elders, and Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Vatican, on behalf of His Holiness Pope Francis, Pope of the Catholic Church, and Antonio Guterrich, Secretary-General of the United Nations, who participated in a recorded speech via video technology, in addition to a group of religious and academic leaders and environmental experts.
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