Doha, February 21 (QNA) - HE Arab League's Assistant Secretary General and Head of Social Affairs Sector Ambassador Dr. Haifa Abu Ghazaleh stressed the importance of cooperation between regional and international institutions to address the phenomenon of climate change, warning of the consequences of this phenomenon on human rights.

In her virtual speech during the International Conference on Climate Change and Human Rights, which kicked off Tuesday in Doha, Her Excellency said that cooperation between human rights circles and regional and international institutions has become an urgent matter in order to exchange experiences and build the capacities necessary to develop successful measures to address the issue of climate change.

She pointed out the challenges humanity is going through as a result of the issue of climate change, which represents a threat to human existence itself, as it exacerbates daily and has become a common concern for humanity, noting the negative effects of the exacerbation of global warming and the increase in emissions.

The dilemma of climate change has become a human rights concern par excellence, as it represents an explicit threat to the highest right, which is the right to life, Dr. Abu Ghazaleh stressed, noting that talking about climate change means talking about natural disasters, rising water levels in the sea, floods, heat waves, drought, desertification, water scarcity, disease spread, and loss of biodiversity.

Her Excellency warned that the Arab region is not immune from these phenomena, due to its geographical location, which requires strengthening cooperation, redoubling efforts and exchanging best practices.

Dr. Abu Ghazaleh said that the Arab League has placed the issue of climate change on the top of its priorities and included it in its various economic and social activities, adding that the impact of this issue on the human rights level has become a permanent item on the agenda of the permanent Arab committee for human rights.

It is noteworthy that the International Conference on Climate Change and Human Rights that kicked off Tuesday in Doha, is organized by the National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), in cooperation with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN Development Program (UNDP), League of Arab States, and Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), with the participation of more than 300 experts and stakeholders from different countries around the globe.

The two-day conference aims to emphasize the importance of rights-based climate action, highlight good practices relevant to the State of Qatar and other active partners, including governments, the United Nations (UN), civil society organizations and companies, and develop recommendations for strengthening cooperation to support rights-based climate action around the globe, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa region. (QNA)