COP28: Haruna Iddrisu calls for parliamentary probe into alleged oversized government delegates

By Elsie Appiah-Osei 

Accra, Dec 05, GNA – Mr Haruna Iddrisu, a National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament (MP) for Tamale South, has called for a Parliamentary probe into allegations of the government registering over 600 delegates for this year’s Conference of Parties (COP28). 

“….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. 

Mr Iddrisu who made the call on the floor of Parliament told Parliament that “data released by the Lead United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change indicated that Ghana’s delegation to COP28 in Dubai had increased to 618 from the delegation 350 last year.” 

“Mr Speaker, the delegation consists of 95 persons on the official parties list and an additional 523 on the party overflow list,” he alleged. 

The 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference or Conference of the Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) more commonly referred to as COP28, is the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference, being held from November 30 until December 12, 2023, at Expo City, Dubai. 

Officially, COP 28 stands for the 28th meeting of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the UNFCCC. 

Addressing both Global emissions and protecting the lives and livelihoods of farmers living on the frontline of climate change are core elements of the COP28 Food Systems Agenda. 

Mr Iddrisu therefore argued the impact of the number of attendees at COP28 on the state coffers. 

GNA