The Permanent Missions to the UN of Morocco and France issued a letter to the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon containing the ‘Tangier Call for Strong, Solidarity-based Action on Climate Change.' The Call is aimed at mobilizing the international community ahead of the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC (COP 21).
28 October 2015: The Permanent Missions to the UN of Morocco and France issued a letter to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon containing the ‘Tangier Call for Strong, Solidarity-based Action on Climate Change.’ The Call is aimed at mobilizing the international community ahead of the 21st session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 21) to the UNFCCC.
In the Tangier Call, signed by the King of Morocco Mohammed VI and President of France François Hollande, the two countries express serious concern about the growing negative impacts of climate change on the environment, economic and social development, and international peace and security. They call on the international community to step up its fight against climate change.
Morocco and France further call for: strong, solidarity-based action on climate change that is swift, effective and collective; coupling decisions at the international level with rapid, tangible initiatives on the ground; and a accelerated transition to a global green economy.
The signatories also note that, inter alia: the fight against climate change should be incorporated into national sustainable development policies; the fight against climate change should be looked at from the perspective of “shared but differentiated responsibility, solidarity and a collective commitment to act”; and great attention should be devoted to developing countries, including the least developed countries (LDCs) and the small island developing States (SIDS).
In the Call, Morocco and France pledge to do all they can towards the adoption in Paris, of a “global, lasting, balanced and legally-binding agreement” that is based on the objectives and principles of the UNFCCC, in order to limit global warming to below 2°C compared to pre-industrial levels, and achieve a carbon-free economy. They stress that the Marrakesh COP, in 2016, should be “a watershed” in regularly stepped-up national and collective efforts.
France is the incoming COP 21 Presidency. Marrakesh, Morocco has been selected as the host of COP 22.
In the letter (A/C.2/70/6), the signatories request the UN Secretary-General to distribute the Tangier Call as a document of the 70th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) under its Second Committee agenda item 20 (d) sustainable development: protection of global climate for present and future generations of humankind. [The Tangier Call for Strong, Solidarity-based Action on Climate Change]