Morocco-Skhirat: Undersecretary Gioacchino Alfano at the 22ª International Climate Conference

(To drafting)
07/09/16

Undersecretary Alfano participated in the 22nd International Climate Conference which took place in Skhirat in Morocco. During his speech, he thanked His Majesty the King of Morocco, Muhammad VI and the Minister Delegate for Defense Abdeltif Loudyi for the invitation made to Italy. During his speech, the Undersecretary addressed general issues on climate change and provided insight into the importance of navies and their potential for the safety of the seas. 

Thus the undersecretary, in some passages of the intervention: States must use the extraordinary resource represented by military fleets in the most intelligent and effective way. The military navies have a great knowledge of the maritime environment because it is their primary operating environment and they have proven to be the only ones able to respond quickly to the most various emergencies. They come to mind - specifies the undersecretary - the countless interventions for the rescue of shipwrecked people in the Mediterranean, which Italy and the European Union are facing, saving lives. At the end of the intervention, the undersecretary therefore appealed to the intervening countries: military fleets can and must be an instrument of protection of the international order and protection of existing rules to protect the common use of maritime spaces, to do this it will be necessary to encourage the cooperation of all the countries involved in common programs.

Morocco hosted the important "Defense and climate change" event, after the historic climate conference that took place in Paris last year, where important milestones were set. The Paris agreement provides that the signatory countries commit themselves to limit the global temperature increase of the planet to below the 2 degrees centigrade, and to continue their efforts to try not to exceed the 1,5 degrees. Among others, the commitments by the States to reach the peak of greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible to arrive at rapid reductions. As of the 3 September 2016 date, 180 are the signatory countries. Of these, 26 states have deposited the instruments of ratification, acceptance or approval. Signatures representing in total the 39,06 percent of the total global greenhouse gas emissions. Because enter into force will have to join at least 55 countries reaching the share of 55 per cent of global emissions.