COP President designate bids farewell to UNFCCC

President Designate and Egypt Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry expressed his deep appreciation to UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa on the occasion of the end of her tenure at the helm of the Secretariat of the UN climate convention and its conference of states parties.

In a phone conversation, Shoukry commended the tireless work of Espinosa in steering and advancing climate action during the last six years, and previously in her capacity as the President of the successful COP16 in Cancun, Mexico, crowning an extraordinary career of public service in the Mexican government and the United Nations.

COP President Designate Sameh Shoukry underlined that Executive Secretary Espinosa’s leadership and constructive engagement with all parties and groups contributed significantly to the progress achieved on the Paris Agreement Rule Book from Marrakech to Glasgow. 

He added that during Espinosa’s tenure the Secretariat further improved its efficiency and effectiveness and became ever more adept at engaging with the branching and increasingly complex global climate agenda, said a press release on Friday.

He praised the continuous and valuable support provided by the UNFCCC Secretariat, under Espinosa’s leadership, to the incoming Egyptian presidency, and expressed his confidence that this support will continue under the incoming acting Executive Secretary Mr. Ibrahim Thiaw.

He concluded by conveying his best wishes to UNFCCC Executive Secretary Patricia Espinosa in her future endeavors.