Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy affirms its commitment to prepare future leaders in climate diplomacy

ABU DHABI, 13th December, 2023 (WAM) — As part of its ongoing efforts to develop outstanding diplomatic cadres, the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy has made a strategic step towards empowering its students’ role in addressing global environmental challenges by enabling a group of the Academy’s students and alumni to participate in diplomatic discussions on important climate issues at COP28 to utilise the Academy’s opportunities to gain practical experience from seasoned diplomats and climate experts participating in the Conference.
The Academy’s participation in COP28 comes as part of its Centre for Climate Diplomacy, which organised a series of panel discussions attended by selected diplomatic decision makers and experts in climate diplomacy to highlight the Academy’s commitment to strengthen climate diplomacy efforts, both in the United Arab Emirates and on the global level.
Nickolay Mladenov, Director General of the Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, stressed the importance of the participation of students in diplomacy in such discussions, noting that enhancing their role reflects the Academy’s commitment to qualify a new generation of diplomats capable of formulating policies that address the pressing challenges and threats of climate change.
Commenting on the participation of the Academy’s Centre for Climate Diplomacy in COP28, Moustafa Bayoumi, Research fellow at Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy, said: “The Academy’s involvement in COP28 offers students and graduates a chance to gain global experience and share knowledge on a unifying platform, which puts future diplomats at the centre of this participation and supports the efforts of the Centre for Climate Diplomacy to strengthen the capabilities and skill sets of the future diplomatic corps of the United Arab Emirates. AGDA consistently works to provide our students with the necessary practical expertise so they can fill their diplomatic roles in the future effectively and skillfully especially in climate change.”
On her participation in COP28 with a group of AGDA students, Alyazia Ahly said: “Our participation in this Conference is a valuable opportunity presented to us by the Academy, which has played an active role in helping us understand the mechanisms of these gatherings and to recognise the diplomatic importance of its decisions in altering the future of climate change.”
In turn, student Mohammed Al Ahbabi commented on his participation in the conference: “We thank the Academy for this priceless opportunity to learn from the elite diplomatic experts on how to manage high-level diplomatic discussions, and how to organise an effective multi-party diplomatic dialogue. Attending a series of panel sessions at COP28 definitely enriched our knowledge and broadened our horizons when it comes to recognizing the substantial role of diplomacy in making decisions that can change the world.”
The participation of AGDA students in this year’s COP28 is not the first, as Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy students participated in the previous edition, COP27, at Sharm El Sheikh, where they attended the diplomatic climate discussions and witnessed the efforts to encourage future diplomatic leaders to play an effective role in protecting the environment and promoting a balance between economic development and maintaining the sustainability of our planet.