UN Team Arrives in Belém for COP 30
Vice Governor Hana Ghassan welcomed 25 members of the UNFCCC technical team at the City Park
Vice Governor Hana Ghassan, who chairs the State Committee for COP30, welcomed the technical team of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on Wednesday (8), as they arrived in Belém for COP30. The group of 25 members has arrived in the capital of Pará and will stay for the event. The technicians will oversee the final stage of setting up the structures and implementing the logistics for security, health, mobility, and accreditation for the event, which will bring together thousands of representatives from around the world in November.
Traditionally, the UNFCCC team arrives in the host country about 30 days before the conference takes place to participate in the final preparation phase of the event. During this period, the UN technical team monitors the setup of official spaces, security and accessibility tests, as well as the integration of transportation, health, energy, and communication systems that ensure the smooth operation of the conference.
The Vice Governor of Pará, Hana Ghassan, welcomed the technicians at the Creative Economy Center, located in the City Park, the venue for the conference. The meeting marks the beginning of the operational phase of COP 30. Built by the Government of Pará, the Park was handed over to the Federal Government and the UN, which are setting up the temporary structures for COP. “We are very happy to welcome you. You could see that we are almost done with all the works, and now we are entering the implementation phase of everything that has been studied and prepared for this event, which will undoubtedly be the best COP of all time,” said Vice Governor Hana Ghassan.
In addition to the Park, the State has conducted more than 30 structural works that, over the past two years, have prepared Belém to host the event. The delegation arrived in Belém just before the Círio de Nazaré, the largest Catholic procession in the country. “It is an event that receives thousands of people, much more than we are expecting for COP. We know that they are different audiences, but it will be a great opportunity for you to see how prepared Belém is, how things work — food, mobility, security, and health system. Besides all this, you will see about a million people walking the streets with the pilgrim image of Our Lady of Nazaré. So that, in the end, you understand that Belém is ready to host large events,” Hana added.
The meeting was attended by Olmo Xavier, Director of Infrastructure of the COP 30 Coordination Secretariat (Secop), Flávia Castelhano, Director of Projects of Secop, Juliet Kigundu, Head of the UNFCCC Coordination Unit, Khalid Magzoub, Leader of the Meeting Management Team, and Kevin O’Hanlon, Head of Security of UNDSS.
“There are more than 30 works that have prepared Belém for the event. This will be the legacy of COP 30 for the city. From the city you saw the last time you came to now, with the works completed, Belém has a new face,” highlighted Olmo Xavier.
UN representative Juliet Kigundu emphasized the importance of the partnership between the governments and the UNFCCC in organizing the event. “COP 30 is an event that, if it were only the UN responsible, would not happen. If it were only Pará or Brazil, it also would not happen. It is the joint work of all parties involved that makes this event a reality. That’s why I am very happy to see that everything is well advanced and that it will be an amazing event,” said Juliet.
