Why Ghana officially has a 322-person delegation attending COP 27 in Egypt

Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, confirmed to pressmen last week that Ghana will be sending a delegation of over 320 persons to the ongoing 27th Conference of Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 27) in Egypt. He explained that out of a total of 322 people attending, attendees are pooled from both state and non-state institutions having duly registered on the government’s portal to attend and participate in COP27. Dr Afriyie, according to a Ghana News Agency, GNA; report explained that of the total, participants from government institutions account for 226, while those from non-state actors are 72 and those belonging to the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF) are 24. “Half of the number on the government platform are NGOs and partner institutions who decided to go through some institutions to be registered,” he clarified. “Therefore, the actual government staff attending the COP is about 150…People attending this will be participating in diverse programming including negotiations, workshops, side events and bilateral meetings. Sponsorships is also form diverse sources,” he stressed. 2021 edition attracts public scrutiny There was a huge public outcry when it emerged that Ghana sent over 330 delegates to the COP 26, which took place between 31st October and November 12, 2021, in Glasgow, Scotland. A provisional list published on the website of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change indicated that Ghana’s contingent was led by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. Some sector ministers who made the trip included Kwaku Afriyie, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation; Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey of Foreign Affairs, Samuel Abu Jinapor, Minister for Land and Natural Resources and Matthew Opoku Prempeh, Minister of Energy. The list also includes representatives from Parliament, Environmental Protection Agency, Office of the President, the media, among others. It was later explained that not all persons registered under Ghana traveled on state largess and that the presidential team was much smaller. Akufo-Addo leads COP 27 delegation President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo arrived in Egypt on Sunday as leader of Ghana’s delegation of climate negotiators to COP 27. COP 27, scheduled for November 7 to 18, is being hosted in the Egyptian city of Sharm El-Sheikh. It will provide the platform for climate activists and negotiators to discuss, propose actions and make decisions towards facilitating the implementation of the various Articles of the Paris Agreement and the Glasgow Climate Pact. At a Pre-COP media briefing organised by Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation in Accra, Dr Kwaku Afriyie, sector Minister, said Ghana’s team was ready to present the real needs of the African people at the conference. “Ghana will participate actively at the negotiations, and the Presidency implementation summit and also host a number of events at the Ghana Pavilion. “We will launch the Article six framework and sign some additional bilateral agreements with Sweden and Singapore. Other sectors will host events relating to their mandate, i.e., energy, forestry, transport, finance etc,” Dr Afriyie stated. SARA