Cairo: Minister of Local Development and Environment Manal Awad underscored the importance of the D-8 ministerial platform, describing it as a framework representing more than 1.28 billion people that goes beyond addressing shared challenges to capitalizing on accumulated experience in translating international commitments into national and local policies and programs.

According to State Information Service Egypt, speaking on behalf of Egypt at the D-8 Ministerial Meeting on Environment, held on the sidelines of preparatory events for the COP31 climate conference scheduled to take place in Turkey next November, Awad said the platform serves as an effective mechanism for political coordination, practical cooperation in project preparation, investment mobilization, knowledge exchange, and South-South cooperation. She added that it would enable member states to participate in COP31 with a common vision and a unified voice.

The meeting aims to strengthen the collective participation of developing economies in global climate negotiations and establish an organized climate coordination mechanism for the D-8 group.

Awad expressed Egypt's appreciation to Turkey for its hospitality and preparations to host COP31 in Antalya, stressing that the current stage requires focusing on the balanced implementation of existing international commitments rather than negotiating new ones, in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement while taking into account the development priorities of developing countries.

She noted that countries contributing the least to climate change continue to bear the greatest burden of its consequences, a reality experienced daily by developing societies.

The minister stressed that adaptation must remain the top priority for developing countries and be based on national plans, adequately financed, and delivered at the local level. She also reaffirmed Egypt's full support for the Loss and Damage Response Fund, emphasizing the need to operationalize it through simplified access mechanisms to ensure funding reaches the most vulnerable communities rather than remaining a theoretical commitment.

Awad further stressed that a just transition must take into account the differing national circumstances and priorities of countries while promoting economic growth, creating jobs, and supporting sustainable development, ensuring that no country or community is left behind. She described this approach as the foundation for achieving a fair and equitable climate transition.

On climate finance, the minister pointed to the adaptation finance gap, which, according to the latest United Nations reports, is estimated to exceed $310 billion annually by 2035. She said bridging this gap requires developed countries to fulfill their climate finance commitments, alongside reforms to the international financial architecture that would facilitate developing countries' access to concessional financing and enable them to implement their climate and development priorities.

She called on D-8 member states to present a united front in advocating this position during COP31.

Awad emphasized that, for developing countries, climate action and sustainable development are not parallel tracks but complementary objectives that cannot be achieved independently, stressing the importance of translating this principle into practical policies and projects.

She concluded by calling for the Istanbul Declaration to serve as a roadmap for joint action and a practical platform for strengthening partnerships, preparing projects and mobilizing financing, translating the priorities of D-8 member states into tangible outcomes at COP31 and beyond.

Awad affirmed Egypt's readiness to work closely with all member states so that the group arrives in Antalya as an active partner in shaping climate solutions rather than merely receiving them, and as a driving force for fair and implementable outcomes.

The D-8 Organization for Economic Cooperation is a major platform for emerging economies spanning Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Its members are Bangladesh, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Turkey, and Azerbaijan. Together, they include some of the world's most climate-vulnerable economies as well as some of its fastest-industrializing nations.