At the close of its proceedings, today, Thursday, October 19, 2023, the Conference of Environment Ministers in the Islamic World issued the Jeddah Declaration on Green Transformation. The Conference was organized by Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), and hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, represented in its Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.

The Declaration extended thanks to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for hosting the Conference and put forth several recommendations in the field of environment protection, ways to mitigate the socio-economic and environmental impact of climate change in the Islamic world, and means to promote the role of the green economy in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The participants also undertook to implement the orientations and commitment contained in the Declaration, in coordination with the various competent parties concerned in the Member States, ICESCO’s General Directorate and the international and regional organizations concerned.

The Conference also commended the two leading initiatives, “Saudi Green Initiative” and “Middle East Green Initiative,” reaffirming their commitment to supporting them and contributing to their success and outreach.

Moreover, the Declaration strongly condemned the tragic events that the Palestinian people are exposed to, especially what is currently happening in and around the Gaza Strip; denounced the military escalation that caused casualties among civilians, the destruction of the environment and the basic necessities of life; and called on the international community to assume its responsibilities and act swiftly to avoid more casualties, and the occurrence of a humanitarian, environmental and health catastrophe in the Gaza Strip.

On another note, the Declaration welcomed the outcomes of the 27th session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, held in the Arab Republic of Egypt, in November 2022, notably the agreement on a just transition action program and mechanisms for funding losses and damages, including the establishment of a fund for this purpose. It also welcomed and supported the “Climate/Refugee Nexus Initiative” launched by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which aims to strengthen the resilience of countries that suffer from the negative effects of climate change and host large numbers of refugees.

Afterward, the Conference participants submitted two letters of thanks and gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and the Crown Prince and Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, may Allah preserve them.

During its working sessions, the Conference commended the documents and projects presented by ICESCO’s General Directorate, the Report of the Sixth Meeting of the Executive Bureau of the Environment in the Islamic World, and the discussions and deliberations that have taken place among the Ministers and heads of delegations taking part in the Conference, with a view of exchanging ideas and experiences on the protection of the environment and green transformation.

Dr. AlMalik gave a closing remark where he lauded the sense of responsibility and the spirit of cooperation manifested during the Conference, stating that the Organization commits to implement the adopted programs, projects and visions and considers the observations it has received concerning the Jeddah Declaration.