ETHIOPIA SECURES 2027 CLIMATE SUMMIT HOST

Uncertainty still surrounds which country will host next year's UN climate conference: Australia or Turkey.
But for 2027, there is little mystery: it will almost certainly be Ethiopia, an African diplomatic powerhouse.

The news broke on the second day of COP30, the 30th UN climate change conference held in Belem, in the Brazilian Amazon.

Brazil for COP30 as U.S. skips climate summit again
Tanzania Maasai fear VW 'greenwashing' carbon credit scheme
What is the COP30 climate summit, and why does it matter?

Richard Muyungi, chair of the Africa Group of Negotiators told AFP the group "has endorsed Ethiopia." The Brazilian presidency of COP30 confirmed the African countries' choice to AFP.

It's not yet official -- the decision still needs to be officially adopted by all participating nations during the conference, which runs to November 21 -- but that should be a formality.

"We welcome the announcement of COP32 in Ethiopia and look forward to elevating Africa's climate priorities and leadership," said Rukiya Khamis, an Africa senior organiser at the nonprofit 350.org.

UN climate conferences are held on a rotating basis among five regional blocs, which must choose the host country by consensus within their group. Sometimes this leads to power struggles.

This year, Brazil was selected to host COP30 on behalf of the Latin American and Caribbean states, and the turn for Africa comes in 2027, for which Ethiopia was chosen over another African giant, Nigeria.

"We look forward to welcoming all of you to Addis Ababa for COP32, " Ethiopian Ambassador to Brazil Leulseged Tadese Abebe said in response during a plenary session, adding his country had begun initial preparations.

The headquarters of the African Union, the Ethiopian capital is no stranger to hosting high-profile international events ranging from AU annual meetings to scores of international conferences.

Ethiopian Ambassador to Brazil Leulseged Tadese Abebe said in response during a plenary session, adding his country had begun initial preparations.

Being the headquarters of the AU, the Ethiopian capital is well-versed in hosting major global events, from AU annual meetings to numerous international conferences.

In the Horn of Africa, it is the second most populous nation on the continent, with approximately 130 million residents facing extremely harsh drought spells.

At the same time, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed favours declarations of his commitment to the environment: his country was the first in the world to ban the importation of internal combustion engine vehicles, and the government has pledged to plant billions of trees.

While Ahmed was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019, a year after coming to power, for his rapprochement with neighboring Eritrea, Ethiopia still faces serious security challenges.

The conflict in Tigray, northern Ethiopia, claimed at least 600,000 lives from 2020 to 2022, according to the African Union, and spilled over into the neighboring Afar region.

In recent days, tensions between Tigray and Afar have flared up again, and Ethiopian-Eritrean relations have deteriorated once more.

While the call on the 2027 COP32 is subject to formal confirmation, challenges remain for COP31 next year.

Australia wants it to be hosted at Adelaide and has more support, but Turkey refuses to give in and move away from its bid at Antalya.

Both countries are members of the "Western Europe and Other States" group. The negotiations are ongoing, but a decision has to be reached in Belem or else COP31 would be held by default at the UN Climate Change headquarters in Bonn, Germany. Such a deadlock would be unprecedented in the history of UN climate conferences.