HRH Princess Lalla Hasnaa

At COP 28

High Level Session on Greening Education Partnership

Friday, December 8, 2023

الـحــمـــد لله، والـصــــلاة والـســـلام عــلـــى مــولانـــا رســـول الله وآلـــه وصــحـــبـــه.

 Your Excellencies,

It gives me great pleasure to stand before this assembly of vibrant,   passionate,  and inspiring young leaders,

who fill me with confidence as we tackle the challenges of climate change. When our Foundation    began   rolling-out sustainable development education programs, just a couple of decades ago, under the leadership    of His Majesty, King Mohammed VI, may God be with him, it appeared quite improbable that we would be here today.

Joining forces with the Moroccan  Ministry of Education, we quickly engaged    all our schools to provide    every student with solid    environmental awareness. Making local realities part of international curricula, and harnessing the expertise of teachers and advisors,  we helped our young people understand climate change and the impact   it has on their local environment.

More recently, we incorporated  Sustainable Development Goals into our school curricula,under a United Nations program,      in which Morocco is one of three pilot countries.

This work has begun to translate into real change   in the behaviour     of our young people, as   evidenced    here  today.

From the outset, we developed teaching methods that embrace the opportunities, made possible     by the digital revolution.

This    has led us to expand     the scope of our initiatives – to work with young people   throughout    Africa, and promote    broader   awareness of the challenges    arising from climate change.

We launched   the African Youth   Climate Hub Initiative, at the UN    Climate Action Summit  in 2019.

Our aim    was to connect young people  across    Africa; develop climate expertise; and support pioneering initiatives with regard to sustainable development.

Today, the African Youth    Climate Hub has grown    to over 18,000 members.

The first incubator program enabled 10 projects    across 9 African countries, which now generate    over   half a million US$ in cumulative   monthly    revenues.  In only six months,      these start-ups have set up   20 partnerships, and created   many   new    jobs.

The second edition of the competition, which ended in October 2023, drew an  amazing     245 projects.

As we continue to make the most of technology, we recognize     not only its importance,  but also    the growing divide between   North  and   South.

I fear     that  unequal access to data and technology, coupled with the imminent AI-supported revolution     in education, will only  widen   existing gaps and increase     disparities.

It is imperative that we acknowledge this and take    decisive   action.

We need to cooperate, federate stakeholders, and enable access     to international funding for our organizations   = and associations.

We must help develop managerial capabilities of these organizations, which often struggle  with access    to global finance.

We believe     that streamlining   procedures, enhancing access   to information and resources, and extending technical support, are vital  ingredients     to  ensuring  that  no one    is left behind,   anywhere.

This should also  make it possible  to rally the indispensable goodwill and the active support of   all     stakeholders.

In closing, I call on our enthusiastic    young leaders the future shapers of the world, to      dream      big,  for     the  sky   is the   limit.

Be creative.    Challenge us. Drive us forward.

Realise your grand aspirations. Remember,    to draw on the wisdom of those who came before you, always treat the environment with the utmost respect, take on     current difficulties, and act locally   to mitigate impacts, as called for by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

As you combine    your energy and creativity with the wisdom   of preceding generations, you will build  a more sustainable future  for   all.

Thank you,    young leaders,

for your commitment     and inspiration.

والســلام علـيكــم ورحـمـة الله تعــالـى وبــركـاتــه