Statement made by Malawi on behalf of the LDC Group at the Opening Plenary of COP30

Belém, Brazil

Mr COP President, Excellencies, distinguished delegates,

Imagine the consequences of climate change that have put innocent lives in jeopardy across LDCs

Children — forced to grow up in harsh environments.
Mothers — walking long distances for water that no longer flows, and for firewood to cook in smoky kitchens.
Farmers — losing their crops, season after season, with no time to recover.

Floods, droughts, and hunger have stretched our endurance.

Not just in Africa but including the Caribbean and Asia Pacific.
Homes destroyed.
Livelihoods swept away.
Economies collapsing

Conference, these are not AI-generated stories.
These are the daily realities defining the struggle for survival of 1.6 billion people we represent in the LDCs.
People who deserve to live and thrive, to dream and to hope.

And as we enjoy Belém’s hospitality, and meet in these nicely branded and decorated walls:

• Our people are watching.
• They are listening.
• They are waiting.
• They are demanding answers, speed, progress, and climate justice.

The youth, women, farmers, and the elderly are asking many questions on why the delays about 1.5, tripling of grant-based adaptation finance; about new debt from climate finance, funding for loss and damage and on finalizing just transition work programme.

Conference!

How much longer must we wait to respond to these important questions?

We meet. We speak.
We discuss. We promise.
We postpone.
And then… we wait again.

Excellencies, colleagues.

Let us remember:
Climate change needs no visa.
Respects no borders.
Has no favourites.
And the smoke does not stop at our borders.
This devastation is all around us, and collectively we must walk the acceleration we have been talking about for so long to get a different result. And this is the COP to make this difference. Yes, a different COP.

Thank you, Azerbaijan, for the leadership, and welcome, Brazil.
Brazil has promised a different COP. We are also hoping for a balanced outcome.
We are committed to working with you and all those willing to support our people – marginalised women and youth.

COP 30 is an opportunity to reconcile with nature and restore the trust that has been lost —

Not with speeches, but with action and speed.

We must leave Belém with a sense of reassurance —that this multilateral process is working for our people, for our economies, and for Mother Nature.

Let COP 30 stand for hope, justice, and action —a package that triples grant-based adaptation finance, advances 1.5°C ambition, and delivers the means of implementation.

As I conclude my LDC Chairmanship at this COP – I urge you to reflect on the original intentions of the journey we are walking today.

End.