Abu Dhabi: The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA), the European Union Delegation to the UAE, the Embassy of Sweden in Abu Dhabi and the Swedish Dialogue Institute for the Middle East and North Africa, organized a panel discussion aimed at highlighting the vital role of women leadership in advancing the climate agenda and accelerating the green transition ahead of the COP28 conference.

Themed ‘The role of women leadership in addressing the climate agenda’, the panel discussion brought together esteemed guests and influential speakers, who are actively engaged in climate action and women empowerment. The panellists included Laila Mostafa Abdullatif, Director General of Emirates Nature-WWF, Dr. Dena Assaf, UN Resident Coordinator in the UAE, Dr. Sara Chehab, Senior Research Fellow at AGDA, Hafsa Halawa, Independent Consultant, Chafic Traboulsi, Regional Vice-President, Head of Networks Operations and Sales in the Middle East and Africa region, Ericsson, and Malak Abdulla, UAE Youth Climate Delegate, COP 28. Her Excellency Charlotta Sparre, the Director of the Swedish Dialogue Institute for the MENA, moderated the panel.

The event emphasized the significant contributions of women leaders in the UAE and across the MENA region to address the climate agenda, accelerate the green transition, and make climate change negotiations an inclusive arena where women’s voices are heard.

H.E Nickolay Mladenov, Director General of Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy said: “Through this event we intend to promote the role of women leaders across the UAE and MENA region in addressing the pressing climate agenda. In collaboration with our esteemed partners, we strive to inspire and empower women, as we build momentum towards COP28. This event unites distinguished figures from the government, private sector, academia, and international organizations, and fostered a platform to share positive examples, surmount challenges, and devise strategies for enhancing women's leadership. Together, we wholeheartedly embrace the power of women's full, equal, and meaningful participation in shaping our climate future.”

In her welcoming remarks, H.E. Liselott Andersson, Ambassador of Sweden to the UAE, said: “When talking about gender equality and climate it is not only a matter of vulnerability to the consequences of climate change. Women and girls must also be seen as actors, who if included to a greater degree in decision-making and implementation, can contribute to better climate policies.”

H.E. Charlotta Sparre, Director of the Swedish Dialogue Institute for the Middle East and North Africa said: “Gender equality is not only an issue of bringing women into the climate agenda, but also how men and women can work together to enhance the climate agenda. Over the past few years, we have seen increasing attention and awareness towards the issue of inclusivity, but we do not yet see enough women’s representation. For women who are already in leadership positions, we must ask ourselves how we can best leverage their positions to further advance women’s participation at all levels. Every one of us carries some of the responsibility to ensure that we bring our own recommendations into our respective domains.”

n closing, H.E. Andrea Matteo Fontana, Ambassador of the EU to the UAE highlighted the need to create more spaces where everyone, including women and girls, can effectively participate in the collective efforts to address the climate crisis and move the climate agenda forward. He said: “Today, we heard several positive developments, but we must acknowledge the persisting and systemic barriers that continue to hinder women’s ability to effectively participate in the climate agenda. The reality is that women remain currently under-represented in climate forums, including at the COP. Substantially less women than men participate in negotiations on key climate issues. This year, the COP28 Presidency in the UAE has demonstrated its commitment to advance women’s leadership – including by appointing two remarkable female leaders as their Champions. But we must each do our part to continue to break down these barriers and create new opportunities to advance women’s leadership in climate action.”

Representatives from the diplomatic community in the UAE, government and specialized agencies, international organizations, non-governmental organizations,  academia, think tanks, the private sector as well as youth organizations attended the event.

The event served as a significant platform to acknowledge the contributions of women leaders in addressing the climate agenda and promoting sustainable development. Moreover, it aimed at inspiring further advancements in women's leadership ahead of the upcoming COP28, to be held in the UAE from November 30 to December 12, 2023.

About the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA):

The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) is a globally recognised diplomatic centre of excellence in Abu Dhabi, UAE. It delivers accredited academic programmes and high-impact executive training to develop future diplomats, as well as the government and business leaders of tomorrow. AGDA brings together an intellectual community from the world of diplomacy, academia and research. As a respected and evolving regional think tank, AGDA produces research that advances knowledge and capabilities relevant to the UAE’s foreign policy objectives. The Academy is a producer of leading resources, including indices and publications. Learn more at: http://agda.ac.ae/

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