Heads of State or Government, representatives of international and regional organizations, businessmen and members of civil society from dozens of countries gathered in Egypt to address the continental challenges.

The forum’s theme was “Africa in an Era of Cascading Risks and Climate Vulnerability: Pathways for a Peaceful, Resilient and Sustainable Continent.”

Upon opening the third edition of the event on Tuesday, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi stressed the need for a pan-African agenda to boost the Sustainable Development Goals and address the effects of climate change.

In a video message, El-Sisi said that the meeting takes place amid serious global challenges with important political and economic repercussions for the region.

He also called for increasing agricultural production and fighting other problems such as terrorism, arms traffic, human trafficking and illegal immigration.

The Aswan Forum is a unique opportunity to discuss the threat of climate change, said the president, who recalled that Egypt will host a world summit about the issue in November.

For his part, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pointed out that just two percent of global investment in renewable energies have gone to Africa, although the region is the most affected by the problem.

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