New York, April 20 (ANI/WAM) – This week, UN High Level Climate Change Champion for COP28 Razan Al Mubarak and Director General and Special Representative of COP28, Ambassador Majid Al Suwaidi, traveled to UN Headquarters in New York to join with stakeholders on the sidelines of the 22nd session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). The Forum on Indigenous Issues is the central UN body that addresses the concerns and rights of the world's indigenous peoples. In their respective engagements, both members of the COP28 leadership team reiterated the UAE's commitment to work more closely with indigenous communities to address the climate crisis. In his keynote speech at the forum, al-Mubarak emphasized the importance of using the knowledge and values of indigenous peoples to achieve sustainable development and protect biodiversity, and called for their full involvement in the development of policies related to climate change. "As a UN champion on climate change, I am committed to working with you to support your efforts and promote indigenous solutions to the climate crisis," al-Mubarak said. On the sidelines of the forum, Ambassador Al Suwaidi informed the representatives of the Group of 77 + China about the potential areas of cooperation and the commitment of the UAE to work closely with the developing countries of the Global South in order to achieve an inclusive COP28 conference. In addition, Al Mubarak and Ambassador Al Suwaidi jointly called on indigenous youth activists and young people to spearhead efforts to mitigate the effects of climate change.