Tamale South MP, Haruna Iddrisu, has called for investigation into Ghana’s delegation to COP28 in Dubai
He expressed dismay at the exorbitant number of over six hundred (600) participants that Ghana sent to the COP28 conference.
During his address on the floor of Parliament on Monday, December 4, 2023, the former Minority Leader highlighted the adverse effects of such a large delegation on the country’s finances.
“Mr. Speaker, with this economic distress, how can Ghana lead a delegation of 618 persons? Are we shouldering the economic gain and hardship of the Ghanaian? And Mr. Speaker, I see a delegation of the president here at COP28… I am demanding that a committee looks at this,” he said.
According to data released by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Ghana’s representation at COP28 in Dubai has increased significantly from 350 last year to 618.
The delegation comprises 95 individuals on the official parties list and an additional 523 on the party overflow list. These figures are provisional and based on registered participants; the final numbers, including those collecting physical badges at the venue, will be provided by the UNFCCC after the summit concludes.
COP 28, scheduled from November 30 to December 12, is anticipated to be a historic event, witnessing a record-breaking number of delegates.
The provisional total for this year’s summit indicates that 97,372 individuals have registered to attend in person, nearly double the attendance at COP 27 in Egypt. Notably, for the first time in COP history, all delegates, including “host country guests” from the UAE and 3,000 “virtual-only” participants, have been named in the participant lists.