Ghana’s Deputy Head of Party of COP 28 and Executive Director of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr. Henry Kwabena Kokofu, has clarified that the government did not fund all 618 delegates currently attending the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE).
He explained that those funded by the government include representatives of the country, such as government officials and negotiators.
Dr. Kokofu, who also serves as the Special Envoy of CVF and Executive Director of EPA, expressed enthusiasm about the high number of delegates, noting that it provides an opportunity for more people to learn about climate change.
“The government does not have any hand in the number of delegates who came for the conference. We explained this even before we left Ghana. We made sure to make announcements and people who showed interest registered for the conference,” he said in an audio interview.
Data from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 28) reveals that Ghana has registered 618 delegates for the 28th Conference of Parties.
This number represents a significant increase, with almost a 100% rise compared to the number of delegates sent in 2022 and 2021.
At COP 27 in Egypt, Ghana had a delegation of 350, and at COP 26, there were 337 delegates comprising state and non-state actors. It has been observed that some delegates were funded by development partners.
The list includes 95 individuals on the official “parties” list and 523 on the “party overflow” list. The high number of delegates has sparked discussions on social media, with some expressing surprise given the country’s current financial situation.