The High School Student International “Summit for Well-being” in Okayama

Februari 2024


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma with students at the end of the Summit for Well-being in Okayama

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was the keynote speaker at the the High School Student International “Summit for Well-being” in Japan, organised by the Okayama prefecture on 3 February 2024. Students participated both onsite and online.

In the 20.00 news a short report of the summit was broadcasted (see below).


Click on the picture to watch the TV- report of the Summit for Well-being

The Paris Committee on Capacity-building

December 2023

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma has been elected and appointed as member of the Paris Committee on Capacity-building on COP28 held in Dubai in the UAE from 30 November – 13 December 2023, representing the Least Developed Countries (45 countries with over 1 billion people).

Established at COP 21 in 2015 (1/CP.21, para. 71), the PCCB addresses current and emerging gaps and needs in implementing and further enhancing capacity-building in developing countries. In 2019, the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA) decided that the PCCB shall also serve the Paris Agreement.

The vision and mission statements of the PCCB and further information and documentation are available on the PCCB web page. The PCCB consists of 12 members nominated by Parties representing the five United Nations regional groups (two members each) and the least developed countries and small island developing States (one member each).

Transforming education together: ESD-NET Global Meeting

December 2023

The ESD-NET Global Meeting in Tokyo, which commenced on December 18, 2023, marked a successful gathering at the United Nations University with the presence of representatives from more than 80 countries. This year’s meeting focused on sharing the implementation and progress of the ESD-2030 national initiatives, trends, challenges and innovations within the framework of Agenda 2030 and discussing the action points for the next two years 2024-2025.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Chair of the International  Jury of the 2023 UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development,  moderated the Plenary Panel Discussion  “Transforming ESD together to transform lives”

The focus was on Transformative Action: Fundamental changes required for a sustainable future start with individuals. ESD places emphasis on how each learner undertakes transformative actions for sustainability, including the importance of opportunities to expose learners to reality, and how they influence societal transformation towards a sustainable future. ESD in action is citizenship.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma at COP28

December 2023

DECEMBER 13: Simon Stiell, Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC (L), H.E. Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, COP28 President and other delegates pose for a group photo during the final remarks of the Closing Plenary at the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 at Expo City Dubai on December 13, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by COP28 / Christopher Pike)

The Annual Climate Conference, COP28, took place this year in Dubai in the UAE from 30 November – 12 December 2023.
H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was member of the official delegation of Burkina Faso  and the lead negotiator for the “Work Programme on Just Transition Pathways”.
Some pictures with H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma were published in newspapers all over the world.

Unesco-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development

November 2023

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, chair of the jury of the 2023 UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development, handed over the price to the three winning laureates of 2023:

  • Long Way Home (Guatemala)
  • Kanazawa University (Japan)
  • Zimbabwe Institute of Permaculture (Zimbabwe).

Each received an award of US $50.000 at the award ceremony in November 2023, during the 42nd session of the General Conference of UNESCO.

After the award session H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma shared the Panel Discussion on the critical role of education for sustainable development and getting every learner climate.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was also one of the panellists at the 42nd session of the UNESCO General Conference High Level Segment: “Rethinking the commons, acting together” in the High Level Session on Partnerships.

African Royal Houses for SDG’s  

October 2023

Under the umbrella of the MAMA-LIGHT® Initiative, H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma convenes the African Royal Houses for SDG’s.  The African Royal Houses have a long history in managing local issues in a sustainable way. They are willing and able to provide perspectives and added value to the implementation of the SDG’s based on their long-standing ancestral knowledges and experiences in forging solutions, implementing, accelerating, replicating, and scaling actions, and learning from each other’s and others in how to deliver transformative change in local situations.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Chair of the International Jury of UNESCO-JAPAN Education for Sustainable Development price during UNESCO 42nd General Conference, stresses continuously the importance and the critical role of traditional authorities to fast track the implementation of the SDG’s while addressing climate change.

The United Nations General Assembly

September 2023


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma at the 78th UN general assembly with HE’s William Ruto, president of Kenya, Kristalina Georgieva, Managing director of the IMF, Aminu Ado Bayero, Emir of Kano, Mariya Gabriel, Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mia Amor Mottley, prime minister of Barbados, Ali Mohamed, Special Climate Envoy for Kenya, Adnan Amin, Former director general of the IRENA and CEO of COP28, Dr Alfred Mutua Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kenya, and Mariam bint Mohammed Saeed Hareb Almheiri, Minister of Climate Change and Environment in the United Arab Emirates.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma attended the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. This session marked a crucial milestone in the journey towards achieving the 2030 Agenda and it was urgent needed to put the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track.

World leaders gathered to engage in the annual high-level General Debate under the theme, “Rebuilding trust and reigniting global solidarity: Accelerating action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards peace, prosperity, progress and sustainability for all.” Heads of State and Government and ministers explored solutions to the intertwined global challenges to advance peace, security, and sustainable development.


Some of the “Early Champions” in the workshop about the Greening Education Partnership with H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma

In the margins of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly H.R.H. Princess Abze Digma moderated a session of key stakeholders to discuss the Greening Education Partnership’s overall strategy of enhancing climate change education financing, as well as bringing together “Early Champions” to discuss the establishment of the Multi Partner Trust Fund (MPTF).

SB58 Bonn

June 2023


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma at the SB58 with representatives of Ghana and Papua New Guinea

H.R.H. Princess Abze Digma participated at the 58th sessions of the UN Climate Change Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) and Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI), that was held from 5 to 15 June 2023 at the World Conference Center in Bonn, Germany.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma with Simon Stiel, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)

Building on the mandates that emerged from COP27 in Egypt last year, the conference hosted a large number of mandated events and continued discussions on issues of critical importance, such as the global stock take, global goal on adaptation, just transition, loss and damage and the mitigation work programme.
The conference made progress on these and other important issues and prepared draft decisions for adoption ad COP28 in Dubai in December 2023.

Trade Forum for Decarbonisation Standards: Promoting coherence and transparency in the steel sector

9 March 2023


The leaders panel at the Trade Forum for Decarbonization Standards with (left to right) Dr. Edwin Basson, H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Emma Farge and on the screen Aditya Mital. Geneva 9 March 2023 

The Trade Forum for Decarbonization Standards: Promoting transparency and coherence in the iron and steel sector promoted a multi-stakeholder dialogue on the role of coherent and transparent standards in accelerating the global scale-up of low-carbon steelmaking technologies and avoiding trade frictions. It brought together WTO Members, industry, standards bodies, international organizations, and academic experts to share perspectives on challenges and opportunities around decarbonization standards and the potential role of the WTO in promoting international cooperation with a focus on the iron and steel supply chain.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was one of the Leaders in the Leaders Conversation: Leading the charge to tackle the decarbonization challenge for trade, together with Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala , Director-General World Trade Organization, Aditya Mittal, CEO ArcelorMittal,  and Dr. Edwin Basson, Director General World Steel Association.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma got awarded the
Honorary  Doctorate degree

22 February 2023


Hirofumi Making, M.D., Ph.D. President of Okayama University, hands over the certificate of Honorary Doctor to H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma. Okayama 22 February 2023.

The board of Trustees of Okayama University has awarded H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma the Honorary Degree of Doctor for her contribution to the Advancement of Science and Culture.

She is recommended for this degree in recognition of her distinguished leadership and contribution to a just, peaceful and inclusive society through the empowerment of women and youth, as well as extraordinary works and achievements at a local, national and international levels on education for sustainable development (ESD) and Sustainable Development Goals.

She is the 9th person and first Female in the 150 years history of the Okayama University who got awarded with the Honorary Degree of Doctor, among them are the Noble Price winners Dr. Negishi Ei-iche (2010) and Dr Yoshino Akira (2019).

Okayama University is a leading university in Japan and belongs to the top universities in the world and theTop Universities in Asia.
Okayama University is the premier Japanese research institution in the field of sustainable development, a global hub for the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).
The University has become the first Asian UNESCO chair, in recognition of their efforts in the field of ESD (Education for Sustainable Development). Their mission through UNESCO is the continual development and promotion of knowledge and innovation to address sustainability challenges both in Okayama and around the globe.

African Union CIEFFA 5th Youth Capacity building workshop

December 2022


H.R.H Princess Abze Djigma with 40 youth from 40 different African countries in Kigali at the CIEFFA 5th Youth Capacity Building workshop December 2022

African Union International Centre for Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa (AU/CIEFFA) is a specialized institution of the African Union under the Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation. The Centre aims to promote girls’ and women’s education with a view towards their full participation in the eradication of poverty and the edification of a peaceful world for sustainable human development.

Youth from 40 African Union Member States, Traditional leaders from Burkina Faso, Eswatini and Cote d’Ivoire gathered from 1st to 4thDecember 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda for  5th Youth Capacity Building Workshop (YCBW) on Girls’ & Women’s Education under the theme “Girls and women’s education, and climate change: connecting the dots to build sustainable and resilient communities”.

Recognizing the important role that African youth play as change makers; both at grassroots and national levels in advocating for gender equality in and through education, the African Union CIEFFA since 2017 convenes young African women and men from African Union Members States working as advocates for girls and women’s education (GWE) in their countries and local communities for an annual capacity building program.

This year H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, recognized as a champion of the Traditional Leaders, was one of the experts on advocacy and leadership skills to coach the selected 40 youth (one of each country) with a view of building a community of champions of education at national and community level, especially in the context of Climate Change.

2022 UN Transforming Education Summit

November 2022


H.R.H Princess Abze Djigma speaking with Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations

Education today is in turmoil. More than 90 % of the world’s children have had their education interrupted by COVID-19. The pandemic has also exposed large disparities not only between countries, but particularly between different learner groups within countries.

The Transforming Education Summit was convened in response to a global crisis in education – one of equity and inclusion, quality and relevance. Often slow and unseen, this crisis is having a devastating impact on the futures of children and youth worldwide.

The event brought together more than 2,000 participants over the course of three days, including 65 Head of States/Governments. The Summit has generated national and global action on how to make education fit for the future: inclusive, equitable, safe, resilient and geared to the collective crises and challenges we face, from widening inequalities to climate change, from protracted conflicts to the accelerating digital revolution.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma participated actively during all three days in diverse sessions and moderated 2 high-level sessions:
– At Solutions Day: Greening Education Partnership: Getting Every Learner Climate-ready
– At the Transforming Education Summit Leaders Day: Transforming education to transform the world: Learning to live together sustainably

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma Master of Ceremony at the World Climate Summit in Sharm El Sheikh

November 2022


H.R.H Princess Abze Djigma moderating at the World Climate Summit 2022 in Sharm el Sheikh

The World Climate Summit – the Investment COP shares best practices and innovations across sectors that are essential to decarbonisation efforts in the focus areas of energy, transport, buildings, industry, finance, and nature.

​The event links up to the Global Stocktake with a focus on how non-government stakeholders can achieve transition pathways to deliver on climate action. The Summit further serves as a platform for front-running pledges, commitments and action plans aligned with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

The 12th World Climate Summit in Sharm El Sheikh brought together public and private sector leaders from across the world to discuss the impact of climate changes on their businesses.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was as usual Master of Ceremony the first day of the 2-day event. This day included:
– From Glasgow to Sharm El Sheikh – Tracking Progress on Implementation towards Net Zero
– Powering the Net- Zero Future – Policy and Innovation for Clean Energy Systems
– Resilient Futures for All – Advancing Nature-Based Solutions Through PPP for Climate Resilience and Healthy Ecosystems
– Minimising Climate Impacts Across the Value Chain – Best Practices from Sustainable Textiles and Apparel
– Africa on the Front Line – Towards a Resilient Future: Outlook on Africa’s 2030 Commitments and Resilient Future Pathways
– Smart and Resilient Cities – How To Revolutionise Urban Environments
– Galvanising Concerted Global Action – Accelerating Collaboration for Climate Ambition Across Sectors

Botswana Global Adaptation Week

August 2022


H.R.H Princess Abze Djigma with Mokgweetsi E.K. Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana at the Botswana Global Adaptation Week in 2022

The Botswana Global Adaptation Week is one of the major adaptation events of the year which aims to showcase and promote actions and practices to adapt to the impacts of climate change. It offers a platform to raise adaptation ambition by accelerating the formulation and implementation of countries’ National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) as well as foresight thinking for resilience.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma participated at the NAP Expo and was one of the invited thought leaders in the Resilience Frontiers workshop, a first-of-its-kind UN interagency effort that moves the world’s collective thinking beyond the dystopianparadigms created by today’s challenges and into a desirable future of permanent resilience. The event brought together a diverse range of thought leaders for brainstorming meetings to help accelerate the journey towards this better world.

Transforming Education Pre-Summit

June 2022


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma with Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director General for Education UNESCO, at the Transforming Education Pre-Summit in Paris, 28-30 June 2022

Recognising that education is a foundation for peace, tolerance, human rights and sustainable development, the UN Secretary-General convened aTransforming Education Summit (TES) in September 2022. The Summit was aimed at mobilizing action, ambition, solidarity and solutions with a view to transforming education between now and 2030.

In this context, a Pre‐Summit was organized in Paris on 28‐30 June 2022. The overall objective of the Pre‐Summit was to harness the evolving discussions on transforming education, elaborate initial content and establish shared vision and suggested actions for the Summit, and generate greater momentum in the lead up to September. A Global Engagement Day on 28 June included technical meetings on Thematic Action Tracks and engagements with key stakeholders. The High‐level segment consisted of Ministerial and Stakeholder engagement will take place from 29‐30 June 2022.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma participated during the 3 days in different sessions and moderated the panel session “Learning and Skills for Life, Work and Sustainable Development at the Pre-Summit Ministerial Segment on 30 June.

UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development

November 2021

 
H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma at the UNESCO-Japan Price, speaking at the award ceremony 2021 in Paris. 

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, chair of the jury of the UNESCO-Japan Prize, was one of the speakers during the Award Ceremony and moderated a panel discussion with the 2021 laureates.

The UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) honours outstanding projects by institutions and organizations related to Education for Sustainable Development. The Prize, funded by the Government of Japan, consists of three annual awards of USD 50,000 for each recipient. The Prize and award winners recognize the role of education in connecting the social, economic, cultural and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

The price winners of 2021 are:
– Media Development Center, Birzeit University, Palestine
– World Vision Ghana, Ghana
– Kusi Kawsay School, Peru

The award ceremony took place on 19 November 2021. Watch the video.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma at COP26

November 2021

The Annual Climate Conference, COP26, took place this year in Glasgow UK from 31 October – 12 November 2021 under the presidency of the United Kingdom in Partnership with Italy.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, member of the delegation of Burkina Faso, participated in many sessions including:
– Opening and closing meeting of the COP
– Workstream meetings of the SBI, including ACE and Gender
– Plenary meetings/discussion
– Launch of the Global Energy Alliance
– Meetings in the SDG7 Pavilion
– Numerous bilateral meetings

During COP26, H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Chair of the H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma Foundation and Initiator and Leader of the MAMA-LIGHT Initiative, organised a very successful event in the UNFCCC Pavilion within the theme “Action for Climate Empowerment” and about “Successful implementations of ACE: walking the talk in UAE, Africa, and LAC”.

The event resulted in a further strengthened cooperation between regions by sharing successful experiences/actions for climate empowerment from the Middle East, Africa, and LAC and show cased immediately scalable actions on the field of energy transition where women and youth already have a place in the driving seat.

To get an impression of H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma at COP26 see Impressions COP26

On the Road to Glasgow with UNFCCC High-Level Climate Champion Gonzalo Muñoz.

November 2021

In the last talk of the series “On the roads to COP-26 Glasgow” H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma spoke with Climate Champion Gonzalo Muñoz (to watch click here).


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma in conversation at COP26 with High-Level Climate Champions Gonzalo Muñoz

Gonzalo Muñoz was one of the two High-Level Climate Champions at Cop26.  He was the Climate Champion for COP25 and COP26. H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma spoke with him at COP26 in Glasgow during his last day as High-Level Climate Champion.  They discussed how individual people can contribute to avoid climate change.

High-Level Climate Champions are appointed by the United Nations climate change conference to connect the work of governments with the many voluntary and collaborative actions takencby cities, regions, businesses, investors and nations  decided to appoint two high-level champions, each for for 2 consecutive COP’s. They Engage with interested Parties and non-Party stakeholders to build on existing initiatives and to support new and more geographically diverse initiatives.  And their inputs to mobilize action helps the secretariat organize technical expert meetings and coordinate annual high-level events to spur even greater ambition and action.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma Master of Ceremony at the World Climate Summit in Glasgow

December 2021

As usual, in 2021 the World Climate Summit was organized alongside COP26 in Glasgow. The 11th World Climate Summit brought together public and private sector leaders from across the world to discuss the impact of climate changes on their businesses.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma,Master of Ceremony of the 11th World Climate Summit, in conversation with Eiman Ezzat, CEO Capgemini Group

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was Master of Ceremony the first day of the 2-day event. The day included:
– Progress towards Net-Zero: challenges, opportunities, and achievements
– Mobilizing Finance to Tackle the Climate Crisis: Climate at the core of Investment Strategy
– Decarbonizing the Transport Sector: Pioneering approaches to e-Mobility
– Powering the World: Solving the Challenges of the Global Energy Transition
– The Intelligent City: Creating Sustainable Cities through Public-Private Partnerships & Innovation
– The Climate Decade: Collaborating to Build Solutions & Opportunities for Transformational Action by 2030

‘ON THE ROAD TO #COP26, #Glasgow UK ’: Conversations led by H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma

2021

In the context of Article 12 of the Paris Agreement H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma lead a series of talks with a focus on aligning the top-down and the bottom-up views of climate action in in partnership with the UNFCCC Secretariat in coordination with UNFCCC’s Regional Cooperation Centers.

Each episode featured relevant stakeholder groups that are in a position to act as catalysts, leading CEOs, Heads of CSR, Young Leaders and Acting Grass Roots people from around the world.

The series highlights positive actions on the ground and the immediate benefits of acting on the climate crisis,  empowering particularly young people to work towards a new generation of green jobs & and entrepreneurship.

All conversations are published on the Video Channel of H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma


On the road to COP26 – Episode 1: The Paris Agreement


On the road to COP26 – Episode 2: Gender and Green


On the road to COP26 – Episode 3: Greening up Education


On the road to COP26 – Episode 4: Local Actions Matter


On the road to COP26 – Episode 5: Energy in Partnership


On the road to COP26 – Episode 6: Impact Finance

All conversations are also published on the UN Climate Change Website:
On the road to COP26 – Episode 1: The Paris Agreement
On the road to COP26 – Episode 2: Gender and Green
On the road to COP26 – Episode 3: Greening up Education
On the road to COP26 – Episode 4: Local Actions Matter
On the road to COP26 – Episode 5: Energy in Partnership
On the road to COP26 – Episode 6: Impact Finance

October 2021

The World Green Economy Summit (WGES) is one of the leading global forums on the green economy. It brings together world-class experts in critical sectors from around the world to directly focus on advancing the global green economy and sustainability agenda, achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and implementing the recommendations of COP21 & 22.

Organised by the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority and World Green Economy Organization, the Summit is held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President Prime Minister of UAE and The Ruler of Dubai, in cooperation with Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and WETEX.


 H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma in conversation with HE Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of state for Youth Affairs, The United Arab Emirates. 

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma had live conversations on stage with  Her Excellency Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, The United Arab Emirates, about “Young people’s crucial role in combating climate change in the Middle East”, and with Lewis Pugh, endurance swimmer and Patron of the Oceans, United Nations, about “Taking responsibility for the climate crisis”.

Next to the conversations H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma had an inspirational session with the participants at the Climathon,also hosted by The World Green Economy Organisation during the World Green Economy Summit.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma appointed as Commissioner for the Global Commission to end Poverty

January 2021

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma has been appointed as Commissioner for the Global Commission to End Energy Poverty.

The mission of the Global Commission to End Energy Poverty is to forge an actionable consensus among leading investors, utilities, and policy-makers that lays out a viable pathway for providing electricity services to hundreds of millions of under-served homes and businesses more quickly and more cost-effectively than the current trajectory.

The Global Commission to End Energy Poverty comprises utilities, off-grid companies, multilateral development banks, academics, and leaders from across the electricity and development sectors. It operates under the joint chairmanship of the Rockefeller Foundation President Dr. Rajiv J. Shah; former U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz; and Africa Development Bank President, Dr. Akinwumi Adisina. They oversee the work of a research team led by the MIT Energy Initiative Deputy Director Robert Stoner and MIT visiting professor Ignacio Perez-Arriaga.

ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum 2020

November 2020

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) hosted the fourth edition of the annual ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum (ESEF) on 24-26 November 2020. ESEF 2020 raised awareness about the progress made by ECOWAS member states toward achieving sustainable energy targets set for 2030. It also focused on achieving the vision of the ECOWAS for a prosperous regional sustainable energy market, which is contingent upon harnessing the region’s vast renewable energy potential.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma moderating a session at the ECOWAS Sustainable Energy forum 2020

This year the ESEF went digital, and H.R.H. Princess participated from distance as:

Climate voices

November 2020

Climate change is a global issue, affecting us all. With ‘Climate Voices’, the UNFCCC has brought together leaders from across the world to deliver one message: “Now is our moment to take action on climate change”.


H.E. Patricia Espinosa, UNFCCC Executive Secretary

One of the leaders invited by UNFCCC to deliver a message is H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma. Her contribution is part of the video above and is the last one in the video at minute 16.45. Among other leaders contributing are H.E. Patricia Spinoza, Executive Secretary UNFCCC, and the COP25 President, H.E. Carolina Schmidt from Argentina, and the COP26 President-designate, H.E. Alok Sharma from the UK.

Promoting Climate Action in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia

August 2020

To promote Climate Action, H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma moderated one of the Webinar Series organised by UNFCCC: “The opportunity for a green recovery in the post COVID-19 scenario in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals & the Paris Agreement: The role of Youth”.

Many high-level speakers contributed to the discussions, including Mr Ovais Sarmad, Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC and H.E. Mr Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the World Green Economy Organisation.

The Webinar is available here.

LA GRANDE INTERVIEW on RT TV with H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma

June 2020


LA GRANDE INTERVIEW on RT TV: H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma interviewed by Samantha Ramsamy (click on picture to watch the interview)

RT TV is an international television network, carried by 22 satellites and over 230 operators, which provides a distribution reach to about 700 million households in more than 100 countries. RT operates as a multilingual service in five languages: English, French, Arabic, Spanish and German.

LA GRANDE INTERVIEW is an in-depth interview to go further with a witness of our time, someone you don’t hear everywhere, with a word and a point of view who makes people think and opens us up to original, courageous and sometimes even “disturbing” ideas.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma got interviewed by Samantha Ramsamy, a television journalist specialized in African and international news. In the past months she also interviewed Roch Marc Christian Kabore, President of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, President of Mali, Carlos Ghosn, former chair and CEO of Renault/Nissan, and many other African Presidents and leading people.

The West African Solar Pack adopted by the Board of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE)

February 2020


The board of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy in Praha in 2020 at the 18th ECREEE board meeting including H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma.

The West African Solar Pack (under the umbrella of the MAMA-LIGHT Initiative for Sustainable Energy) has been adopted by the Board of ECREEE at its 18th session on the 28th of February 2020 in Praia Cabo Verde.
Accordingly to the 
 implementation plan in each ECOWAS country a MAMA-LIGTH® Innovation Data’s and Sustainability Center (MALINODASUC®) in combination with e-Cooperatives®  will be established.
The WASP adds value to solar energy related products and contributes to a minimum of 1 million decent jobs per country, summing up to a total of minimum of 15 million jobs in the Green Economy for the 15 ECOWAS Members States.

For more information and/or to get involved for business partnerships and for impact investments see the website of ECREEE.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma at COP25, the annual Climate Conference, in Madrid

December 2019

COP25 took place from 2 to 13 December 2019 at Madrid, Spain under the Presidency of the Government of Chile with logistical support from the Government of Spain.

More than 26,700 people attended COP 25, including over 13,600 government delegates, nearly 10,000 observers, and over 3,000 members of the media.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was deputy head of the delegation of Burkina Faso like in 2017 and in 2018. She participated in many sessions including as panelist or keynote speaker in the following sessions:
– Energy Action Event, for details see report
– Building confidence in adopting Carbon Pricing Instruments, for details see report
– Meeting of the minds, for details see report
– The intergenerational Inquiry, for details see report
– Caring for Climate, for details see report
– SDG7 Roundtable, for details see report
– Africa Day

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma Master of Ceremony at the World Climate Summit in Spain

December 2019


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Master of Ceremony,  with Emma Navarro, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank at the World Climate Summit in Spain 2019.

When it began ten years ago, World Climate Summit aimed to become the first platform for bottom-up climate action alongside the COP negotiations. Since the World Climate Summit has brought together public and private sector leaders from across the world.

This year’s 10th Anniversary Summit in Madrid attracted over 1,000 Delegates, 80 Speakers, and 50 Partners, participating in fruitful discussions on what needs to happen to make the next ten years a Decade to Deliver on Climate Action.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma moderated as Master of Ceremony the following sessions:
– Building Smart Cities – The Role of Net-Zero Technologies
– Closing the Circularity Gap – The Power of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Collaboration
– Climate Finance for Cities: Moving from Project Ideas to Finance-ready and Low Carbon Infrastructure Investments
– Mitigating the Impacts of Resource Extraction – Leadership in Responsible Mining
– Sustainable Agriculture for Biodiversity – Accelerating Investments in Natural Capital
– Business for 2030 – Bridging the Gap in Finance and Technical Capacity Necessary to Meet the Challenge of Climate Change
– Wrap-up at the end of the day

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma keynote speaker at the Impact Day of TU Delft

Once a year the Delft Global Institute organizes the Impact Day. At this day the TU Delft connects technology opportunities with technology with views on the broader global developments that need to take place.

In 2019 the Impact Day took place on November 26th with H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma as the keynote speaker. She demonstrated the potential of the Africans and invited the TU Delft students to co-develop with African youth.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma during her keynote at TU Delft | Global Initiative Impact, 26 November 2019 (picture Roy Borghouts)

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTFA) launched

African nations launched the “operational phase” of a landmark free trade accord at the African Union (AU) Summit in Nigerien capital, Niamey on the 7th July 2019: the world’s largest free trade area. Around 4,500 delegates and guests –– including 32 heads of state and more than 100 ministers –– attended the AU summit in Niamey.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma with H.E. Albert M. Muchange, African Union Commissioner for Trade and Industry

AU officials announced the launch of five “operational instruments” of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) with African nations agreeing to shared “rules of origin, the monitoring and elimination of non-tariff barriers, a unified digital payments system and an African trade observatory dashboard”.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was in the program as a Discussant. The West African Solar Pack is committed to support the implementation of the AfCFTA.

The AU estimates that the agreement –– which cuts tariffs between African nations –– will lead to a 60-percent boost in intra-African trade by 2022.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma with H.E. Mahamadou Issoufou, President of Niger and current (2019-2020) Chairman of the ECOWAS

Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou hailed it as “the greatest historical event for the African continent since the creation of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963,” referring to the AU’s predecessor.

European Development Days 2019

June 2019

Organised by the European Commission, the European Development Days (EDD) bring the development community together each year to share ideas and experiences in ways that inspire new partnerships and innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges

EDD2019’s overarching title was “Addressing inequalities: building a world which leaves no one behind”.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma speaking at EDD2019 with European Commissioner Mariya Gabriel 

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma participated in 2 panels:

– Bridging the digital divide: Digitalisation and technology for inclusive growth: taking full advantage of the digital transformation of the economy and society. See  full video recording here.

– New Africa – Europe Digital Economy Partnership Presentation and discussion on the report of the Africa – EU Digital Economy Task Force. See session report here.

The European Commission and African Union Commission welcome the Digital Economy Task Force report

June 2019

The EU-AU Digital Economy Task Force (DETF) unveiled its final report

The report has been adopted by European Commissioners Mariya Gabriel and Neven Mimica, and Minister of Communications of Ghana, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, at the Digital Assembly 2019 in Bucharest. A preliminary version of the report was earlier presented in May at the 2019 Transform Africa Summit in Kigali.


The Digital Economy Task Force and Sherpa’s at the launch of the final report at the Digital Assembly in Bucharest, including H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, European Commissioners Mariya Gabriel and Neven Mimica, Minister of Communications of Ghana, Ursula Owusu-Ekufuland and Sherpa Anton Martens

The EU-AU Digital Economy Task Force (DETF) draws policy recommendations and proposes concrete actions to address the principal barriers faced by the African continent.  The DETF set out four main goals:

  • Accelerating universal access to affordable broadband;
  • Guaranteeing essential skills for all to enable citizens to thrive in the digital age;
  • Improving the business environment and facilitating access to finance and business support services to boost digitally enabled entrepreneurship;
  • Accelerating the adoption of eServices and the further development of the digital economy for achieving the Sustainable Development Goal

The report can be found here and on the website of the European Union.

West African Solar Pack.

The West African Solar Pack is launched officially by H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Chair of the H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma Foundation and Special Envoy of the President of Burkina Faso for SDG’s and Climate Change, at the High Level closing session of the UNFCCC Regional Forum: the Africa Climate Week in Ghana 2019 under the High Patronage of H.E. Luis Alfonso de Alba UNSG Special Envoy for the Climate Summit September 2019.

The West African Solar Pack is part of the delivery mechanism of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), led and hosted by ECREEE under the umbrella of MAMA-LIGHT® Initiative for Sustainable Energy. Based on the consolidated demand in the ECOWAS member states it offers a portfolio of selected solar products and solutions from trusted suppliers against competitive prices in combination with implementation support and technology transfer.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma with Mahama Kappiah, Executive Director of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) 

For more information and/or to get involved for business partnerships and for impact investments take a look here at the website of ECREEE.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma key-note speaker at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue 2019 and at the Start Up Energy Transition 8-12 April 2019.

Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue

In the past years the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD) has become a leading international forum for key stakeholders of the energy sector. High-level policymakers, industry, science and civil society are given the opportunity to share their experiences and ideas on a safe, affordable and environmentally responsible global energy transition.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was one of the keynote speakers. In her speech she highlighted the potential and added value of the African Youth, African Women and African (Small) Businesses and invited international companies to come and to do business together.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma giving her keynote speech at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue April 2019. Please click on the picture to watch her full speech

Start Up Energy Transition

The Start Up Energy Transition (SET) is an international platform supporting innovation in energy transition. The initiative brings together the most outstanding international start-ups in the field of energy together with key stakeholders in the energy sector.

The topic of the keynote of H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was: “Shining a Light on Empowerment: Quality Access & SDG-7”.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma speaking at the Start Up Energy Transition in Berlin April 2019

The MAMA-LIGHT Initiative for Sustainable Energy recorded as immediately scalable project at the Africa Climate Week, March 2019 Accra.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was rapporteur at the concluding High-Level Panel Session of the Africa Climate Week (18-22 March 2019 in Accra), together with H.E. Luis Alfonso de Alba, Special Envoy for the 2019 UN SG Climate Summit.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma speaking passionate at the concluding High-Level Panel Session of the Africa Climate Week in Accra from 18-22 March 2019

During the concluding High-Level Panel Session, H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma made two very important announcements:
1.) The establishment of the “Africa Carbone Tax and Credit Leadership Coalition”, that Her Highness proposed at COP24 in Katowice and got supported by the Ministers of Environment of Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea Bissau and many others including Ministers of Finances and including the African Development Bank;
2.) The establishment of the “West Africa Solar Pack” led by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) to aggregate solar programs determined by the 15 members states of ECOWAS.
Both Secretariats are hosted by ECREEE and H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma is the coordinator.

The “Africa Carbone Tax and Credit Leadership Coalition” and the “West Africa Solar Pack” will help to accelerate concrete progress in the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the SDG’s as well as facilitate large investments from ICIEC and partners.

The H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma Foundation is proud that the MAMA-LIGHT Initiative for Sustainable Energy, which is part of the “West Africa Solar Pack”, has been recorded in Accra as an immediately scalable project for the UN Secretary General Climate Summit September 2019 in New York.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma appointed as member of the EU-AU Digital Economy Taskforce

The digital economy has become one of the pillars of the global economy.
The last decade has witnessed a digital revolution in Africa. Pushed by the youngest population on the planet, Africa has more than 82% mobile penetration and has become a global leader in mobile payments. Mobile in Africa represents more than 9% of GDP.
In the EU, the Digital Single Market is creating a space of competitiveness and innovation and a common market for more than 500 million people.
The EU-AU Digital Economy Task Force (DETF) will examines how Europe and Africa can build a partnership to draw mutual benefits from the digital transformation of economy and society. The objective is to identify concrete projects under the Africa-Europe Investment and Jobs Alliance in the area of digital economy.

For more information visit the website of the EU and click here.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma attended COP24, the annual Climate Conference

This year the annual Climate Conference, COP24, was organized in Katowice, the heart of the Polish mining industry.  At the conference, Governments have adopted a robust set of guidelines for implementing the landmark 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement.
H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was the deputy head of the delegation of Burkina Faso. Next to numerous formal and informal meetings she participated in many formal sessions and roundtables. for a detailed overview see H.R.H. Princess Abze at COP24.

Interview with H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma on National TV in Burkina Faso

Interview with H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma on RTB TV in Burkina Faso, July 2018.

Sur la Brèche is a weekly one-hour interview with a prominent guest at prime time (Sunday evening 19.00-20.00) on National TV in Burkina Faso. On the 15 July 2018 H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma got interviewed in Sur la Brèche by Jérémi Sié Koulibaly, journalist at RTB Télévision du Burkina.
Click on the picture above to watch the full interview.

Of the world’s 7.6 billion people, more than 4 billion are at a disadvantage in terms of health, education or economic opportunities only because they are young, a woman or both. This is everyone’s loss: the economic, social and legal obstacles hindering their well-being also limit their contribution to making the world a better place for all.
During the Forum, high-level representatives from governments, businesses, foundations and international organizations, met and shared ideas on concrete ways to achieve greater prosperity for all.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma speaking at the OECD Forum for Global Development April 2018 in Paris.
Click on 
the picture and go to 1:41:20, 2;23:06 and 2:31:06 to listen to her contributions

Her Royal Highness Princess Abze Djigma of Burkina Faso spoke about how technology can mitigate conflicts and support access to finance thereby creating opportunities for women and young people. A few of her statements during the forum:
– “Women are the first to pay back loans. To me this is AAA, but they do not benefit on the rate of AAA. How do you bring businesswomen on board if you do not change the banking system?”
– “Blockchain technology is there for small businesses. With this there is no corruption because it checks where the money goes with a rate upfront that we agreed upon, and it also checks whether the goods and services are delivered” said Princess Abze Djigma.

A very good example of the impact of the work of H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma and her Foundation can be found in village of Kalembouly. Kalembouly is a village in Burkina Fase more than 200 km  south from the capital Ouagadougou. There is no electricity in the village itself nor in the direct environment. 2 years ago all children in the village got a solar lamp.

The impact of one light per family both for the children and for the families is huge and demonstrated in a report of Deutsche Welle below.

Click here for more information.

Centre-Sud Kamba-2017 project. 

The ENGIE Foundation and the H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma Foundation worked together to empower 2000 schoolkids and their families in the rural areas of region Centre-Sud in Burkina Faso. For more information click here

RESHAPING GLOBALISATION

The International Economic Forum of the Americas (IEFA) organised the 1st edition of the Conference of Paris, “Reshaping Globalisation, Managing Disruption”, on December 7-8, 2017 at the OECD Conference Centre.

The Conference of Paris gathered major international stakeholders and discusses and reassessed globalization with a particular focus on the role Europe can play. Among the distinguished speakers were the Presidents of Niger and Mauritius; ministers Canada, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, France, Senegal, Madagascar; the Director General of Unesco, The Secretary General of the OECD, the CEO’s from ENGIE, Mitsubishi, Power Corporation of Canada, BNP Paribas, Allianz, Amundi, Oreal, Cogeco, Total, Mmakau, Repsol Innogy and many more.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma participated in three different sessions.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma speaking at the Opening Diner of the Conference of Paris


Plenary session 3: “Accelerating the Ecological Transition; with or without the United States”. From left to right: Josu Jon Imaz, CEO Repsol, Philippe Sauquet, total, Géraldine Amiel (moderato), Bloomberg, Mansoor Hamayun, CEO BBOXX, H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Peter Terium, CEO Innogy, Bridgette Radebe, Executive Chairperson Mmakau Mining, and Cedrik Neike, Member of the Managing Board, Siemens.


Round table 4: TOWARDS A NEW UNIVERSAL HUMANISM in collaboration with the International Organisation of La Francophonie (IOF), with from left to right Gerard Mestrallet, Chair of ENGIE, H.R.H. Princess Abze, H.E. M. Cheikh Kanté
, Minister of Senegal Amadou Kone, Minister of Ivory Coast, (H.E. Benjamina Ramanantsoa Ramarcel, minister of Madagascar is not on the picture).

During the conference H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma got interviewed by Anne-Marie Bissada of Radio France Internationale (RFI).

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was the opening key note speaker at the World Efficiency Solutions Summit in Paris December 2017.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma speaking at the opening of the World Efficiency Solutions in Paris

World Efficiency Solutions, a premier international meeting for the low- carbon and resource-efficient economy, offered a comprehensive platform for accelerating the deployment of all stakeholders involved:  Cities and territories; Companies of all sizes; Engineering and consultancy firms; Institutions/NGOs; Professional organisations; Research bodies and others

The summit in Paris was held under the High Patronage of the President of the French Republic, Mr Emmanuel Macron and with the support of the French Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, Nicolas Hulot.

The UN Climate Change Conference (COP23) in Bonn

The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are yearly conferences held in the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They serve as the formal meeting of the UNFCCC Parties to assess progress in dealing with climate change. This year the 23rd conference was held in Bonn.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, as deputy leader of the Burkina Faso delegation, attended again this year the annual conference. She participated in many formal and informal meetings. Below are pictures of some of the meetings. More pictures can be found in the Photo Gallery.


H.R.H. Princess Abze djigma at the opening of the Climate Summit of Local and Regional Leaders at COP23 with Armin Laschet, Minister-President. State of North Rhine Westphalia Germany, Ashok Sridharan, Lord Mayor Bonn Germany and ICLEI First Vice President, and  Park Won-soon, Mayor of Seoul and President of ICLEI.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma with Patricia Espinosa (M), Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and Dr. Tania Rodiger-Vorwerk, Deputy Director General Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)


The Opening of the World Climate Summit with from left to right  Elizabeth Press, Director Irena, H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Envoy of the President of Burkina Faso for SDG’s and Climate Change, Jens-Peter Saul, Group CEO, Ramboll, Group CEO Ramboll, Thorsten Herdan, Director-General, Energy Policy, Heating and Efficiency, Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy Germany, Naoko Ishii, CEO and President Global Environmental Facility. and Harry Verhaar, Head of Global Public & Government Affairs Philips Lighting


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma at the Austrian Welcome Reception with Patrick Sagmeister Deputy DG Advantage Austria, Mr. Andrä Rupprechter, Austrian Federal Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, Mrs. Ulrike Rabmer-Koller, Vice President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, and Mr. Ashok- Alexander Sridharan, Mayor of Bonn

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Can Business Save the Climate?

H.R.H. Princess Abze was one of the guests of in the Global Talk during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP23) in Bonn together with Prof. Dr. Christof Erhart, Communications and Corporate Responsibility Deutsche Post DHL, Michael Hoelter, Deutsche Bank Asset Management and Dr. Felix Matthes of the Oeko Institut.

The Global Talk was presented by Deutsche Welle anchor Sarah Kelly.

For more details and to watch the Global Talk click on the picture below.

The Global Talk with from left to right: H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Michael Hoelter, Sarah Kelly, Dr. Felix Matthes and Prof. Dr. Christof Erhart

Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international public news and information service, broadcasts its 24-hour information TV programs on six channels around the world and distributes multimedia services in 30 languages online. The programs are aimed at an international audience, especially international decision makers and opinion leaders. They can be received worldwide via satellite and online.

African Union International Centre for Girls’ and Women’s Education in Africa (AU/CIEFFA) is a specialized institution of the African Union under the Department of Education, Science, Technology and Innovation. The Centre aims to promote girls’ and women’s education with a view towards their full participation in the eradication of poverty and the edification of a peaceful world for sustainable human development.

Youth from 40 African Union Member States, Traditional leaders from Burkina Faso, Eswatini and Cote d’Ivoire gathered from 1st to 4thDecember 2022 in Kigali, Rwanda for  5th Youth Capacity Building Workshop (YCBW) on Girls’ & Women’s Education under the theme “Girls and women’s education, and climate change: connecting the dots to build sustainable and resilient communities”.

Recognizing the important role that African youth play as change makers; both at grassroots and national levels in advocating for gender equality in and through education, the African Union CIEFFA since 2017 convenes young African women and men from African Union Members States working as advocates for girls and women’s education (GWE) in their countries and local communities for an annual capacity building program.


H.R.H Princess Abze Djigma coaching future African leaders in Kigali at the CIEFFA 5th Youth Capacity Building workshop December 2022  

This year H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, recognized as a champion of the Traditional Leaders, was one of the experts on advocacy and leadership skills to coach the selected 40 youth (one of each country) with a view of building a community of champions of education at national and community level, especially in the context of Climate Change.

2022 UN Transforming Education Summit

November 2022


H.R.H Princess Abze Djigma speaking with Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations

Education today is in turmoil. More than 90 % of the world’s children have had their education interrupted by COVID-19. The pandemic has also exposed large disparities not only between countries, but particularly between different learner groups within countries.

The Transforming Education Summit was convened in response to a global crisis in education – one of equity and inclusion, quality and relevance. Often slow and unseen, this crisis is having a devastating impact on the futures of children and youth worldwide.

The event brought together more than 2,000 participants over the course of three days, including 65 Head of States/Governments. The Summit has generated national and global action on how to make education fit for the future: inclusive, equitable, safe, resilient and geared to the collective crises and challenges we face, from widening inequalities to climate change, from protracted conflicts to the accelerating digital revolution.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma participated actively during all three days in diverse sessions and moderated 2 high-level sessions:
– At Solutions Day: Greening Education Partnership: Getting Every Learner Climate-ready
– At the Transforming Education Summit Leaders Day: Transforming education to transform the world: Learning to live together sustainably

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma Master of Ceremony at the World Climate Summit in Sharm El Sheikh

November 2022


H.R.H Princess Abze Djigma moderating at the World Climate Summit 2022 in Sharm el Sheikh

The World Climate Summit – the Investment COP shares best practices and innovations across sectors that are essential to decarbonisation efforts in the focus areas of energy, transport, buildings, industry, finance, and nature.

The event links up to the Global Stocktake with a focus on how non-government stakeholders can achieve transition pathways to deliver on climate action. The Summit further serves as a platform for front-running pledges, commitments and action plans aligned with the objectives of the Paris Agreement. 

The 12th World Climate Summit in Sharm El Sheikh brought together public and private sector leaders from across the world to discuss the impact of climate changes on their businesses.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was as usual Master of Ceremony the first day of the 2-day event. This day included:
– From Glasgow to Sharm El Sheikh – Tracking Progress on Implementation towards Net Zero
– Powering the Net- Zero Future – Policy and Innovation for Clean Energy Systems
– Resilient Futures for All – Advancing Nature-Based Solutions Through PPP for Climate Resilience and Healthy Ecosystems
– Minimising Climate Impacts Across the Value Chain – Best Practices from Sustainable Textiles and Apparel
– Africa on the Front Line – Towards a Resilient Future: Outlook on Africa’s 2030 Commitments and Resilient Future Pathways
– Smart and Resilient Cities – How To Revolutionise Urban Environments
– Galvanising Concerted Global Action – Accelerating Collaboration for Climate Ambition Across Sectors

Botswana Global Adaptation Week

August 2022


H.R.H Princess Abze Djigma with Mokgweetsi E.K. Masisi, President of the Republic of Botswana at the Botswana Global Adaptation Week in 2022

The Botswana Global Adaptation Week is one of the major adaptation events of the year which aims to showcase and promote actions and practices to adapt to the impacts of climate change. It offers a platform to raise adaptation ambition by accelerating the formulation and implementation of countries’ National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) as well as foresight thinking for resilience.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma participated at the NAP Expo and was one of the invited thought leaders in the Resilience Frontiers workshop, a first-of-its-kind UN interagency effort that moves the world’s collective thinking beyond the dystopianparadigms created by today’s challenges and into a desirable future of permanent resilience. The event brought together a diverse range of thought leaders for brainstorming meetings to help accelerate the journey towards this better world.

Transforming Education Pre-Summit

June 2022

TES SS3 Transforming education to transform the world_CNProgramme_14 September_REV2 Greening Education Partnership- Getting Every Learner Climate-ready. Transforming Education Summit 2022 Action Track 2 Pre-Summit session agenda_30 June 2022


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma with Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director General for Education UNESCO, at the Transforming Education Pre-Summit in Paris, 28-30 June 2022

Recognising that education is a foundation for peace, tolerance, human rights and sustainable development, the UN Secretary-General convened aTransforming Education Summit (TES) in September 2022. The Summit was aimed at mobilizing action, ambition, solidarity and solutions with a view to transforming education between now and 2030.

In this context, a Pre‐Summit was organized in Paris on 28‐30 June 2022. The overall objective of the Pre‐Summit was to harness the evolving discussions on transforming education, elaborate initial content and establish shared vision and suggested actions for the Summit, and generate greater momentum in the lead up to September. A Global Engagement Day on 28 June included technical meetings on Thematic Action Tracks and engagements with key stakeholders. The High‐level segment consisted of Ministerial and Stakeholder engagement will take place from 29‐30 June 2022.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma participated during the 3 days in different sessions and moderated the panel session “Learning and Skills for Life, Work and Sustainable Development at the Pre-Summit Ministerial Segment on 30 June.

UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development

November 2021

 H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma at the UNESCO-Japan Price, speaking at the award ceremony 2021 in Paris. 

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, chair of the jury of the UNESCO-Japan Prize, was one of the speakers during the Award Ceremony and moderated a panel discussion with the 2021 laureates.

The UNESCO-Japan Prize on Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) honours outstanding projects by institutions and organizations related to Education for Sustainable Development. The Prize, funded by the Government of Japan, consists of three annual awards of USD 50,000 for each recipient. The Prize and award winners recognize the role of education in connecting the social, economic, cultural and environmental dimensions of sustainable development.

The price winners of 2021 are:
– Media Development Center, Birzeit University, Palestine
– World Vision Ghana, Ghana
– Kusi Kawsay School, Peru

The award ceremony took place on 19 November 2021. Watch the video.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma at COP26

November 2021

The Annual Climate Conference, COP26, took place this year in Glasgow UK from 31 October – 12 November 2021 under the presidency of the United Kingdom in Partnership with Italy.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, member of the delegation of Burkina Faso, participated in many sessions including:
– Opening and closing meeting of the COP
– Workstream meetings of the SBI, including ACE and Gender
– Plenary meetings/discussion
– Launch of the Global Energy Alliance
– Meetings in the SDG7 Pavilion
– Numerous bilateral meetings

During COP26, H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Chair of the H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma Foundation and Initiator and Leader of the MAMA-LIGHT Initiative, organised a very successful event in the UNFCCC Pavilion within the theme “Action for Climate Empowerment” and about “Successful implementations of ACE: walking the talk in UAE, Africa, and LAC”.

The event resulted in a further strengthened cooperation between regions by sharing successful experiences/actions for climate empowerment from the Middle East, Africa, and LAC and show cased immediately scalable actions on the field of energy transition where women and youth already have a place in the driving seat.

To get an impression of H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma at COP26 see Impressions COP26

On the Road to Glasgow with UNFCCC High-Level Climate Champion Gonzalo Muñoz.

November 2021

In the last talk of the series “On the roads to COP-26 Glasgow” H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma spoke with Climate Champion Gonzalo Muñoz (to watch click here).


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma in conversation at COP26 with High-Level Climate Champions Gonzalo Muñoz

Gonzalo Muñoz was one of the two High-Level Climate Champions at Cop26.  He was the Climate Champion for COP25 and COP26. H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma spoke with him at COP26 in Glasgow during his last day as High-Level Climate Champion.  They discussed how individual people can contribute to avoid climate change.

High-Level Climate Champions are appointed by the United Nations climate change conference to connect the work of governments with the many voluntary and collaborative actions takencby cities, regions, businesses, investors and nations  decided to appoint two high-level champions, each for for 2 consecutive COP’s. They Engage with interested Parties and non-Party stakeholders to build on existing initiatives and to support new and more geographically diverse initiatives.  And their inputs to mobilize action helps the secretariat organize technical expert meetings and coordinate annual high-level events to spur even greater ambition and action.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma Master of Ceremony at the World Climate Summit in Glasgow

December 2021

As usual, in 2021 the World Climate Summit was organized alongside COP26 in Glasgow. The 11th World Climate Summit brought together public and private sector leaders from across the world to discuss the impact of climate changes on their businesses.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma,Master of Ceremony of the 11th World Climate Summit, in conversation with Eiman Ezzat, CEO Capgemini Group

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was Master of Ceremony the first day of the 2-day event. The day included:
– Progress towards Net-Zero: challenges, opportunities, and achievements
– Mobilizing Finance to Tackle the Climate Crisis: Climate at the core of Investment Strategy
– Decarbonizing the Transport Sector: Pioneering approaches to e-Mobility
– Powering the World: Solving the Challenges of the Global Energy Transition
– The Intelligent City: Creating Sustainable Cities through Public-Private Partnerships & Innovation
– The Climate Decade: Collaborating to Build Solutions & Opportunities for Transformational Action by 2030

‘ON THE ROAD TO #COP26, #Glasgow UK ’: Conversations led by H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma

2021

In the context of Article 12 of the Paris Agreement H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma lead a series of talks with a focus on aligning the top-down and the bottom-up views of climate action in in partnership with the UNFCCC Secretariat in coordination with UNFCCC’s Regional Cooperation Centers.

Each episode featured relevant stakeholder groups that are in a position to act as catalysts, leading CEOs, Heads of CSR, Young Leaders and Acting Grass Roots people from around the world.

The series highlights positive actions on the ground and the immediate benefits of acting on the climate crisis,  empowering particularly young people to work towards a new generation of green jobs & and entrepreneurship.

All conversations are published on the Video Channel of H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma


On the road to COP26 – Episode 1: The Paris Agreement


On the road to COP26 – Episode 2: Gender and Green


On the road to COP26 – Episode 3: Greening up Education


On the road to COP26 – Episode 4: Local Actions Matter


On the road to COP26 – Episode 5: Energy in Partnership


On the road to COP26 – Episode 6: Impact Finance

All conversations are also published on the UN Climate Change Website:
On the road to COP26 – Episode 1: The Paris Agreement
On the road to COP26 – Episode 2: Gender and Green
On the road to COP26 – Episode 3: Greening up Education
On the road to COP26 – Episode 4: Local Actions Matter
On the road to COP26 – Episode 5: Energy in Partnership
On the road to COP26 – Episode 6: Impact Finance

October 2021

The World Green Economy Summit (WGES) is one of the leading global forums on the green economy. It brings together world-class experts in critical sectors from around the world to directly focus on advancing the global green economy and sustainability agenda, achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals and implementing the recommendations of COP21 & 22.

Organised by the Dubai Electricity & Water Authority and World Green Economy Organization, the Summit is held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President Prime Minister of UAE and The Ruler of Dubai, in cooperation with Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and WETEX.


 H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma in conversation with HE Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of state for Youth Affairs, The United Arab Emirates. 

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma had live conversations on stage with  Her Excellency Shamma bint Suhail Faris Al Mazrui, Minister of State for Youth Affairs, The United Arab Emirates, about “Young people’s crucial role in combating climate change in the Middle East”, and with Lewis Pugh, endurance swimmer and Patron of the Oceans, United Nations, about “Taking responsibility for the climate crisis”.

Next to the conversations H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma had an inspirational session with the participants at the Climathon,also hosted by The World Green Economy Organisation during the World Green Economy Summit.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma appointed as Commissioner for the Global Commission to end Poverty

January 2021

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma has been appointed as Commissioner for the Global Commission to End Energy Poverty.

The mission of the Global Commission to End Energy Poverty is to forge an actionable consensus among leading investors, utilities, and policy-makers that lays out a viable pathway for providing electricity services to hundreds of millions of under-served homes and businesses more quickly and more cost-effectively than the current trajectory.

The Global Commission to End Energy Poverty comprises utilities, off-grid companies, multilateral development banks, academics, and leaders from across the electricity and development sectors. It operates under the joint chairmanship of the Rockefeller Foundation President Dr. Rajiv J. Shah; former U.S. Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz; and Africa Development Bank President, Dr. Akinwumi Adisina. They oversee the work of a research team led by the MIT Energy Initiative Deputy Director Robert Stoner and MIT visiting professor Ignacio Perez-Arriaga.

ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum 2020

November 2020

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) hosted the fourth edition of the annual ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum (ESEF) on 24-26 November 2020. ESEF 2020 raised awareness about the progress made by ECOWAS member states toward achieving sustainable energy targets set for 2030. It also focused on achieving the vision of the ECOWAS for a prosperous regional sustainable energy market, which is contingent upon harnessing the region’s vast renewable energy potential.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma moderating a session at the ECOWAS Sustainable Energy forum 2020

This year the ESEF went digital, and H.R.H. Princess participated from distance as:

Climate voices

November 2020

Climate change is a global issue, affecting us all. With ‘Climate Voices’, the UNFCCC has brought together leaders from across the world to deliver one message: “Now is our moment to take action on climate change”.


H.E. Patricia Espinosa, UNFCCC Executive Secretary

One of the leaders invited by UNFCCC to deliver a message is H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma. Her contribution is part of the video above and is the last one in the video at minute 16.45. Among other leaders contributing are H.E. Patricia Spinoza, Executive Secretary UNFCCC, and the COP25 President, H.E. Carolina Schmidt from Argentina, and the COP26 President-designate, H.E. Alok Sharma from the UK.

Promoting Climate Action in the Middle East, North Africa and South Asia

August 2020

To promote Climate Action, H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma moderated one of the Webinar Series organised by UNFCCC: “The opportunity for a green recovery in the post COVID-19 scenario in the context of the Sustainable Development Goals & the Paris Agreement: The role of Youth”.

Many high-level speakers contributed to the discussions, including Mr Ovais Sarmad, Deputy Executive Secretary of the UNFCCC and H.E. Mr Saeed Mohammed Al Tayer, Chairman of the World Green Economy Organisation.

The Webinar is available here.

LA GRANDE INTERVIEW on RT TV with H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma

June 2020


LA GRANDE INTERVIEW on RT TV: H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma interviewed by Samantha Ramsamy (click on picture to watch the interview)

RT TV is an international television network, carried by 22 satellites and over 230 operators, which provides a distribution reach to about 700 million households in more than 100 countries. RT operates as a multilingual service in five languages: English, French, Arabic, Spanish and German.

LA GRANDE INTERVIEW is an in-depth interview to go further with a witness of our time, someone you don’t hear everywhere, with a word and a point of view who makes people think and opens us up to original, courageous and sometimes even “disturbing” ideas.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma got interviewed by Samantha Ramsamy, a television journalist specialized in African and international news. In the past months she also interviewed Roch Marc Christian Kabore, President of Burkina Faso, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, President of Mali, Carlos Ghosn, former chair and CEO of Renault/Nissan, and many other African Presidents and leading people.

The West African Solar Pack adopted by the Board of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE)

February 2020


The board of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy in Praha in 2020 at the 18th ECREEE board meeting including H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma.

The West African Solar Pack (under the umbrella of the MAMA-LIGHT Initiative for Sustainable Energy) has been adopted by the Board of ECREEE at its 18th session on the 28th of February 2020 in Praia Cabo Verde.
Accordingly to the 
 implementation plan in each ECOWAS country a MAMA-LIGTH® Innovation Data’s and Sustainability Center (MALINODASUC®) in combination with e-Cooperatives®  will be established.
The WASP adds value to solar energy related products and contributes to a minimum of 1 million decent jobs per country, summing up to a total of minimum of 15 million jobs in the Green Economy for the 15 ECOWAS Members States.

For more information and/or to get involved for business partnerships and for impact investments see the website of ECREEE.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma at COP25, the annual Climate Conference, in Madrid

December 2019

COP25 took place from 2 to 13 December 2019 at Madrid, Spain under the Presidency of the Government of Chile with logistical support from the Government of Spain.

More than 26,700 people attended COP 25, including over 13,600 government delegates, nearly 10,000 observers, and over 3,000 members of the media.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was deputy head of the delegation of Burkina Faso like in 2017 and in 2018. She participated in many sessions including as panelist or keynote speaker in the following sessions:
– Energy Action Event, for details see report
– Building confidence in adopting Carbon Pricing Instruments, for details see report
– Meeting of the minds, for details see report
– The intergenerational Inquiry, for details see report
– Caring for Climate, for details see report
– SDG7 Roundtable, for details see report
– Africa Day

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma Master of Ceremony at the World Climate Summit in Spain

December 2019


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Master of Ceremony,  with Emma Navarro, Vice-President of the European Investment Bank at the World Climate Summit in Spain 2019.

When it began ten years ago, World Climate Summit aimed to become the first platform for bottom-up climate action alongside the COP negotiations. Since the World Climate Summit has brought together public and private sector leaders from across the world.

This year’s 10th Anniversary Summit in Madrid attracted over 1,000 Delegates, 80 Speakers, and 50 Partners, participating in fruitful discussions on what needs to happen to make the next ten years a Decade to Deliver on Climate Action.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma moderated as Master of Ceremony the following sessions:
– Building Smart Cities – The Role of Net-Zero Technologies
– Closing the Circularity Gap – The Power of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Collaboration
– Climate Finance for Cities: Moving from Project Ideas to Finance-ready and Low Carbon Infrastructure Investments
– Mitigating the Impacts of Resource Extraction – Leadership in Responsible Mining
– Sustainable Agriculture for Biodiversity – Accelerating Investments in Natural Capital
– Business for 2030 – Bridging the Gap in Finance and Technical Capacity Necessary to Meet the Challenge of Climate Change
– Wrap-up at the end of the day

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma keynote speaker at the Impact Day of TU Delft

Once a year the Delft Global Institute organizes the Impact Day. At this day the TU Delft connects technology opportunities with technology with views on the broader global developments that need to take place.

In 2019 the Impact Day took place on November 26th with H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma as the keynote speaker. She demonstrated the potential of the Africans and invited the TU Delft students to co-develop with African youth.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma during her keynote at TU Delft | Global Initiative Impact, 26 November 2019 (picture Roy Borghouts)

The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTFA) launched

African nations launched the “operational phase” of a landmark free trade accord at the African Union (AU) Summit in Nigerien capital, Niamey on the 7th July 2019: the world’s largest free trade area. Around 4,500 delegates and guests –– including 32 heads of state and more than 100 ministers –– attended the AU summit in Niamey.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma with H.E. Albert M. Muchange, African Union Commissioner for Trade and Industry

AU officials announced the launch of five “operational instruments” of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) with African nations agreeing to shared “rules of origin, the monitoring and elimination of non-tariff barriers, a unified digital payments system and an African trade observatory dashboard”.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was in the program as a Discussant. The West African Solar Pack is committed to support the implementation of the AfCFTA.

The AU estimates that the agreement –– which cuts tariffs between African nations –– will lead to a 60-percent boost in intra-African trade by 2022.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma with H.E. Mahamadou Issoufou, President of Niger and current (2019-2020) Chairman of the ECOWAS

Niger’s President Mahamadou Issoufou hailed it as “the greatest historical event for the African continent since the creation of the Organisation of African Unity in 1963,” referring to the AU’s predecessor.

European Development Days 2019

June 2019

Organised by the European Commission, the European Development Days (EDD) bring the development community together each year to share ideas and experiences in ways that inspire new partnerships and innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges

EDD2019’s overarching title was “Addressing inequalities: building a world which leaves no one behind”.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma speaking at EDD2019 with European Commissioner Mariya Gabriel 

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma participated in 2 panels:

– Bridging the digital divide: Digitalisation and technology for inclusive growth: taking full advantage of the digital transformation of the economy and society. See  full video recording here.

– New Africa – Europe Digital Economy Partnership Presentation and discussion on the report of the Africa – EU Digital Economy Task Force. See session report here.

The European Commission and African Union Commission welcome the Digital Economy Task Force report

June 2019

The EU-AU Digital Economy Task Force (DETF) unveiled its final report

The report has been adopted by European Commissioners Mariya Gabriel and Neven Mimica, and Minister of Communications of Ghana, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful, at the Digital Assembly 2019 in Bucharest. A preliminary version of the report was earlier presented in May at the 2019 Transform Africa Summit in Kigali.


The Digital Economy Task Force and Sherpa’s at the launch of the final report at the Digital Assembly in Bucharest, including H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, European Commissioners Mariya Gabriel and Neven Mimica, Minister of Communications of Ghana, Ursula Owusu-Ekufuland and Sherpa Anton Martens

The EU-AU Digital Economy Task Force (DETF) draws policy recommendations and proposes concrete actions to address the principal barriers faced by the African continent.  The DETF set out four main goals:

  • Accelerating universal access to affordable broadband;
  • Guaranteeing essential skills for all to enable citizens to thrive in the digital age;
  • Improving the business environment and facilitating access to finance and business support services to boost digitally enabled entrepreneurship;
  • Accelerating the adoption of eServices and the further development of the digital economy for achieving the Sustainable Development Goal

The report can be found here and on the website of the European Union.

West African Solar Pack.

The West African Solar Pack is launched officially by H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Chair of the H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma Foundation and Special Envoy of the President of Burkina Faso for SDG’s and Climate Change, at the High Level closing session of the UNFCCC Regional Forum: the Africa Climate Week in Ghana 2019 under the High Patronage of H.E. Luis Alfonso de Alba UNSG Special Envoy for the Climate Summit September 2019.

The West African Solar Pack is part of the delivery mechanism of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), led and hosted by ECREEE under the umbrella of MAMA-LIGHT® Initiative for Sustainable Energy. Based on the consolidated demand in the ECOWAS member states it offers a portfolio of selected solar products and solutions from trusted suppliers against competitive prices in combination with implementation support and technology transfer.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma with Mahama Kappiah, Executive Director of the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) 

For more information and/or to get involved for business partnerships and for impact investments take a look here at the website of ECREEE.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma key-note speaker at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue 2019 and at the Start Up Energy Transition 8-12 April 2019.

Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue

In the past years the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue (BETD) has become a leading international forum for key stakeholders of the energy sector. High-level policymakers, industry, science and civil society are given the opportunity to share their experiences and ideas on a safe, affordable and environmentally responsible global energy transition.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was one of the keynote speakers. In her speech she highlighted the potential and added value of the African Youth, African Women and African (Small) Businesses and invited international companies to come and to do business together.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma giving her keynote speech at the Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue April 2019. Please click on the picture to watch her full speech

Start Up Energy Transition

The Start Up Energy Transition (SET) is an international platform supporting innovation in energy transition. The initiative brings together the most outstanding international start-ups in the field of energy together with key stakeholders in the energy sector.

The topic of the keynote of H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was: “Shining a Light on Empowerment: Quality Access & SDG-7”.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma speaking at the Start Up Energy Transition in Berlin April 2019

The MAMA-LIGHT Initiative for Sustainable Energy recorded as immediately scalable project at the Africa Climate Week, March 2019 Accra.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was rapporteur at the concluding High-Level Panel Session of the Africa Climate Week (18-22 March 2019 in Accra), together with H.E. Luis Alfonso de Alba, Special Envoy for the 2019 UN SG Climate Summit.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma speaking passionate at the concluding High-Level Panel Session of the Africa Climate Week in Accra from 18-22 March 2019

During the concluding High-Level Panel Session, H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma made two very important announcements:
1.) The establishment of the “Africa Carbone Tax and Credit Leadership Coalition”, that Her Highness proposed at COP24 in Katowice and got supported by the Ministers of Environment of Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea Bissau and many others including Ministers of Finances and including the African Development Bank;
2.) The establishment of the “West Africa Solar Pack” led by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) to aggregate solar programs determined by the 15 members states of ECOWAS.
Both Secretariats are hosted by ECREEE and H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma is the coordinator.

The “Africa Carbone Tax and Credit Leadership Coalition” and the “West Africa Solar Pack” will help to accelerate concrete progress in the implementation of the Paris Agreement and the SDG’s as well as facilitate large investments from ICIEC and partners.

The H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma Foundation is proud that the MAMA-LIGHT Initiative for Sustainable Energy, which is part of the “West Africa Solar Pack”, has been recorded in Accra as an immediately scalable project for the UN Secretary General Climate Summit September 2019 in New York.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma appointed as member of the EU-AU Digital Economy Taskforce

The digital economy has become one of the pillars of the global economy.
The last decade has witnessed a digital revolution in Africa. Pushed by the youngest population on the planet, Africa has more than 82% mobile penetration and has become a global leader in mobile payments. Mobile in Africa represents more than 9% of GDP.
In the EU, the Digital Single Market is creating a space of competitiveness and innovation and a common market for more than 500 million people.
The EU-AU Digital Economy Task Force (DETF) will examines how Europe and Africa can build a partnership to draw mutual benefits from the digital transformation of economy and society. The objective is to identify concrete projects under the Africa-Europe Investment and Jobs Alliance in the area of digital economy.

For more information visit the website of the EU and click here.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma attended COP24, the annual Climate Conference

This year the annual Climate Conference, COP24, was organized in Katowice, the heart of the Polish mining industry.  At the conference, Governments have adopted a robust set of guidelines for implementing the landmark 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement.
H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was the deputy head of the delegation of Burkina Faso. Next to numerous formal and informal meetings she participated in many formal sessions and roundtables. for a detailed overview see H.R.H. Princess Abze at COP24.

Interview with H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma on National TV in Burkina Faso

Interview with H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma on RTB TV in Burkina Faso, July 2018.

Sur la Brèche is a weekly one-hour interview with a prominent guest at prime time (Sunday evening 19.00-20.00) on National TV in Burkina Faso. On the 15 July 2018 H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma got interviewed in Sur la Brèche by Jérémi Sié Koulibaly, journalist at RTB Télévision du Burkina.
Click on the picture above to watch the full interview.

Of the world’s 7.6 billion people, more than 4 billion are at a disadvantage in terms of health, education or economic opportunities only because they are young, a woman or both. This is everyone’s loss: the economic, social and legal obstacles hindering their well-being also limit their contribution to making the world a better place for all.
During the Forum, high-level representatives from governments, businesses, foundations and international organizations, met and shared ideas on concrete ways to achieve greater prosperity for all.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma speaking at the OECD Forum for Global Development April 2018 in Paris.
Click on 
the picture and go to 1:41:20, 2;23:06 and 2:31:06 to listen to her contributions

Her Royal Highness Princess Abze Djigma of Burkina Faso spoke about how technology can mitigate conflicts and support access to finance thereby creating opportunities for women and young people. A few of her statements during the forum:
– “Women are the first to pay back loans. To me this is AAA, but they do not benefit on the rate of AAA. How do you bring businesswomen on board if you do not change the banking system?”
– “Blockchain technology is there for small businesses. With this there is no corruption because it checks where the money goes with a rate upfront that we agreed upon, and it also checks whether the goods and services are delivered” said Princess Abze Djigma.

A very good example of the impact of the work of H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma and her Foundation can be found in village of Kalembouly. Kalembouly is a village in Burkina Fase more than 200 km  south from the capital Ouagadougou. There is no electricity in the village itself nor in the direct environment. 2 years ago all children in the village got a solar lamp.

The impact of one light per family both for the children and for the families is huge and demonstrated in a report of Deutsche Welle below.

Click here for more information.

Centre-Sud Kamba-2017 project. 

The ENGIE Foundation and the H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma Foundation worked together to empower 2000 schoolkids and their families in the rural areas of region Centre-Sud in Burkina Faso. For more information click here

RESHAPING GLOBALISATION

The International Economic Forum of the Americas (IEFA) organised the 1st edition of the Conference of Paris, “Reshaping Globalisation, Managing Disruption”, on December 7-8, 2017 at the OECD Conference Centre.

The Conference of Paris gathered major international stakeholders and discusses and reassessed globalization with a particular focus on the role Europe can play. Among the distinguished speakers were the Presidents of Niger and Mauritius; ministers Canada, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, France, Senegal, Madagascar; the Director General of Unesco, The Secretary General of the OECD, the CEO’s from ENGIE, Mitsubishi, Power Corporation of Canada, BNP Paribas, Allianz, Amundi, Oreal, Cogeco, Total, Mmakau, Repsol Innogy and many more.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma participated in three different sessions.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma speaking at the Opening Diner of the Conference of Paris


Plenary session 3: “Accelerating the Ecological Transition; with or without the United States”. From left to right: Josu Jon Imaz, CEO Repsol, Philippe Sauquet, total, Géraldine Amiel (moderato), Bloomberg, Mansoor Hamayun, CEO BBOXX, H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Peter Terium, CEO Innogy, Bridgette Radebe, Executive Chairperson Mmakau Mining, and Cedrik Neike, Member of the Managing Board, Siemens.


Round table 4: TOWARDS A NEW UNIVERSAL HUMANISM in collaboration with the International Organisation of La Francophonie (IOF), with from left to right Gerard Mestrallet, Chair of ENGIE, H.R.H. Princess Abze, H.E. M. Cheikh Kanté
, Minister of Senegal Amadou Kone, Minister of Ivory Coast, (H.E. Benjamina Ramanantsoa Ramarcel, minister of Madagascar is not on the picture).

During the conference H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma got interviewed by Anne-Marie Bissada of Radio France Internationale (RFI).

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma was the opening key note speaker at the World Efficiency Solutions Summit in Paris December 2017.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma speaking at the opening of the World Efficiency Solutions in Paris

World Efficiency Solutions, a premier international meeting for the low- carbon and resource-efficient economy, offered a comprehensive platform for accelerating the deployment of all stakeholders involved:  Cities and territories; Companies of all sizes; Engineering and consultancy firms; Institutions/NGOs; Professional organisations; Research bodies and others

The summit in Paris was held under the High Patronage of the President of the French Republic, Mr Emmanuel Macron and with the support of the French Minister for the Ecological and Inclusive Transition, Nicolas Hulot.

The UN Climate Change Conference (COP23) in Bonn

The United Nations Climate Change Conferences are yearly conferences held in the framework of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). They serve as the formal meeting of the UNFCCC Parties to assess progress in dealing with climate change. This year the 23rd conference was held in Bonn.

H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, as deputy leader of the Burkina Faso delegation, attended again this year the annual conference. She participated in many formal and informal meetings. Below are pictures of some of the meetings. More pictures can be found in the Photo Gallery.


H.R.H. Princess Abze djigma at the opening of the Climate Summit of Local and Regional Leaders at COP23 with Armin Laschet, Minister-President. State of North Rhine Westphalia Germany, Ashok Sridharan, Lord Mayor Bonn Germany and ICLEI First Vice President, and  Park Won-soon, Mayor of Seoul and President of ICLEI.


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma with Patricia Espinosa (M), Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and Dr. Tania Rodiger-Vorwerk, Deputy Director General Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ)


The Opening of the World Climate Summit with from left to right  Elizabeth Press, Director Irena, H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Envoy of the President of Burkina Faso for SDG’s and Climate Change, Jens-Peter Saul, Group CEO, Ramboll, Group CEO Ramboll, Thorsten Herdan, Director-General, Energy Policy, Heating and Efficiency, Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy Germany, Naoko Ishii, CEO and President Global Environmental Facility. and Harry Verhaar, Head of Global Public & Government Affairs Philips Lighting


H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma at the Austrian Welcome Reception with Patrick Sagmeister Deputy DG Advantage Austria, Mr. Andrä Rupprechter, Austrian Federal Minister of Agriculture, Forestry, Environment and Water Management, Mrs. Ulrike Rabmer-Koller, Vice President of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, and Mr. Ashok- Alexander Sridharan, Mayor of Bonn

———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

Can Business Save the Climate?

H.R.H. Princess Abze was one of the guests of in the Global Talk during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP23) in Bonn together with Prof. Dr. Christof Erhart, Communications and Corporate Responsibility Deutsche Post DHL, Michael Hoelter, Deutsche Bank Asset Management and Dr. Felix Matthes of the Oeko Institut.

The Global Talk was presented by Deutsche Welle anchor Sarah Kelly.

For more details and to watch the Global Talk click on the picture below.

The Global Talk with from left to right: H.R.H. Princess Abze Djigma, Michael Hoelter, Sarah Kelly, Dr. Felix Matthes and Prof. Dr. Christof Erhart

Deutsche Welle, Germany’s international public news and information service, broadcasts its 24-hour information TV programs on six channels around the world and distributes multimedia services in 30 languages online. The programs are aimed at an international audience, especially international decision makers and opinion leaders. They can be received worldwide via satellite and online.