Statement on Climate Change - International Decade of Combating Climate Change

This statement is a formal intervention delivered during a session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Environment Programme in February 2008, addressing a draft decision proposed by Algeria to declare an International Decade of Combatting Climate Change. It is presented on behalf of the nongovernmental organization Major Group, with support from the Women’s Major Group, and frames climate change as a challenge requiring coordinated action from all stakeholders. The statement emphasizes public awareness, citizen engagement, and the mobilizing role of United Nations–designated years and decades. It supports adoption of the draft decision, highlights the importance of political will, and notes potential synergies with the existing United Nations Decade for Deserts and the fight against desertification.