The Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping, and Peacebuilding (CCCPA) hosted a visit by Khadija Al-Makhzoumi, the Somali Minister of Environment and Climate Change. The visit aimed to enhance cooperation on the Climate Responses for Sustaining Peace (CRSP) initiative, which was launched by Egypt as the COP27 President. The initiative seeks to mobilize integrated climate responses that advance sustainable peace and development, in line with national ownership and the African Union's Agenda 2063. Ahmed Abdel-Latif, CCCPA's Director General, welcomed Minister Al-Makhzoumi and expressed the Center's keenness to strengthen its partnership with Somalia, in view of the strong bilateral relations between the two countries and the political leadership's directives to further support them. CCCPA's DG briefed the Minister on the activities and training courses that the Center has organized as the CRSP secretariat since its inception in Sharm el-Sheikh last year, in a high-level ceremony attended by Sameh Shoukry, the Egyptian Minister of Foreign Affairs, and many senior officials from Africa and beyond. He highlighted the training course that took place last September on "Climate Responsive Programming for Sustaining Peace", in collaboration with the African Union, which involved Somali officials among other African stakeholders. Minister Al-Makhzoumi commended the historic outcomes of COP27 and praised Egypt's leadership in addressing the climate-peace-development nexus through the CRSP initiative, which reflects Egypt's commitment to strengthening multilateralism and fostering international cooperation on climate action and peace. She noted the specific challenges that Somalia faces due to climate change, such as resource scarcity, conflict escalation and forced displacement. She also emphasized the efforts of the Somali Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to address these challenges through advancing climate adaptation, increasing access to climate finance, improving community resilience, and promoting women and youth participation. During her visit, Minister Al-Makhzoumi also met with a number of CRSP partners and discussed ways to enhance collaboration on implementing the initiative. She expressed her appreciation for Egypt's support to Somalia in combating terrorism and other areas, and hailed CCCPA's role in operationalizing the CRSP initiative and building African capacities to address the interface of climate, peace and security.
