The US Ambassador to the United Nations began a two-day visit to Maputo this Thursday to plant mangroves and collect trash with volunteers on the Costa do Sol beach.
“This is a priority for the government of Mozambique, as well as for the whole world and for the US,” said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, along with participants in coastal protection projects supported by the US Embassy.
The US “is a partner of the country and this effort” in the interest of the environment and in the face of climate change, he stressed, with a shovel in one hand and mangrove saplings – the dense shrub that holds the dunes – in the other.
“Sometimes we have to get our hands dirty in the sand for the country to survive. I’m ready, let’s get to work,” she said, taking advantage of the low tide on the Costa do Sol.
Mozambique has been identified as one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change, a weakness that local authorities have echoed in international forums to become more resilient.
For her part, Linda Thomas-Greenfield has planted five mangroves, which she promises to “check regularly” over the Internet.
In the afternoon, the diplomat will meet with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Veronica Macamo.
The visit follows the US-Africa Summit, which brought together some 50 African leaders in Washington in December, where the Joe Biden government reaffirmed its commitment to expanding and modernizing relations with the African continent.
Strengthening partnerships with current and former members of the UN Security Council, including Mozambique (which has just started its first term as a non-permanent member), is one of the items on the diplomat’s agenda.
The US has already pledged to support reform of the body so it can have more permanent and non-permanent seats, including for Africa.
In general, almost all UN countries consider it necessary to reform the Security Council, but there is no agreement on how to do this, with various proposals that have been on the table for years.
The veto has been one of the most contentious issues and the subject of several requests for change, a mechanism Russia has used to prevent the Security Council from acting against it in the face of the war in Ukraine.
At another level, Linda Thomas-Greenfield will focus part of her efforts on addressing regional security issues, strengthening food security and supporting Africa’s resilience and recovery in the face of climate change.
On Friday, he meets first with representatives of the UN operation in Mozambique, where humanitarian actions are taking place, and then with students of international programs.
The diplomat will then travel to Kenya as part of an African tour that began in Ghana on Wednesday.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.