Today, Thursday, the Arab League Pavilion at the COP 29 conference, held in Baku, Azerbaijan, is hosting a side session organized by the Arab Office for Youth and Environment (AOYE) in collaboration with the Arab Network for Environment and Development (RAED) and the Arab League. The session, titled “Climate Financing Strategies: Building Capacities to Address Environmental Challenges,” brings together a diverse group of experts and officials from key sectors. 

The session, moderated by Dr. Emad Adly, General Coordinator of RAED, features prominent speakers, including: 

• Mahmoud Fathallah, Director of the Environment and Meteorology Department and Head of the Technical Secretariat for the Council of Arab Ministers Responsible for Environmental Affairs at the Arab League.
• Martin Heibel, representative of the European Regional Cooperation Program Interreg NEXT MED, funded by the European Union, which promotes partnerships and cross-border cooperation in the Mediterranean region.
• Angelika Shamerina, Climate Change Expert from the Small Grants Program under the Global Environment Facility.
• Ahmed Kamal, Executive Director of the Environmental Compliance and Sustainable Development Office at the Federation of Egyptian Industries and Technical Affairs Advisor to the Federation.
• Nesreen Al-Lahham, Head of the Sustainable Rural Development Unit and Food Systems Transformation Specialist at the Arab Organization for Agricultural Development.

This session aims to explore innovative strategies for climate financing, enhancing regional and cross-sectoral collaboration, and building capacities to address pressing environmental challenges across the Arab region.