CAIRO — Egypt is planning a meeting for African leaders in September ahead of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention on Climate Change (COP27), which it will host in Sharm el-Sheikh in November.

The African ministers of finance, economy, development and environment will meet in Cairo Sept. 7 to formulate a unified African vision on financing issues and programs to confront climate change to ensure sustainable growth, the Egyptian Ministry of Finance said in a statement released July 14.

The statement quoted Egyptian Finance Minister Mohamed Maait as saying, “Egypt seeks to be the voice of Africa during the COP27.”

As part of its preparations to host the COP27, the Egyptian government has launched several initiatives to boost coordination with African governments and reach a unified African vision and position. These initiatives also aim to find ways to meet Africa’s financing needs necessary to implement projects to transition to a green economy, at a time when the continent is experiencing a wave of food and energy shortage crises.