Princess Lalla Hasnaa, Head of the Mohammed VI Foundation for the Protection of the Environment, highlighted the importance of investing in education, new technologies, and artificial intelligence to transform the younger generations into global citizens actively involved in protecting their planet, stressing that all good intentions are necessary to meet current challenges.
This came in the princess’ address at the opening of the first annual high-level meeting of the “Partnership for Green Education” Initiative on Friday in Dubai, organized by UNESCO and the Ministry of Education of the UAE as part of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28).
Additionally, she advocated for increased international solidarity, particularly from developed nations toward the South, given the growing use of new technologies that are widening the gap between the North and South, particularly in the areas of data access and artificial intelligence in education.
To address these inequalities, Lalla Hasnaa stressed the importance of taking concrete measures by simplifying international financing procedures and making resources more accessible to ensure full inclusion.
In this regard, she highlighted the Foundation’s actions to mobilize and unite young people in Africa through the “African Youth Climate Hub” and the “African Green Universities and Youth Education Network” initiatives.
Concerning the “African Youth Climate Hub” initiative, Lalla Hasnaa stated that the initiative involves no fewer than 18,000 members from nine different countries on the African continent, adding that the first edition of this initiative gave rise to 10 projects generating a monthly income of over $500,000.
“The project’s owners were able to establish more than 20 partnerships and created more than 15 jobs in just six months. The second call for projects closed on October 15, 2023, and received no fewer than 245 projects,” added the princess.