On Wednesday, March 20, 2024, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Regional Integration, Mr. Rui Figueiredo Soares, presided over the opening of the 3rd Annual Foreign Policy Conference, CAPE 24, held at the headquarters of Cape Verdean diplomacy in Praia until the next Friday, March 22, under the theme "Climate Change and Small Island Developing States: Challenges and Perspectives."

In his speech, the head of Cape Verdean diplomacy stressed that mitigation and adaptation to address climate change continue to face skepticism from those who oppose scientific warnings and conflicting economic interests in this domain, as well as delays in fulfilling international commitments made throughout successive COPs, particularly regarding climate financing. In this regard, he emphasized the urgent need for measures to facilitate transitions to green and blue economies.

"The Small Island Developing States - SIDS - of which Cabo Verde is a part, are among the most vulnerable to climate shocks, and measures to create resilience and effect the necessary transitions to green and blue economies are urgent as they correspond to vital needs of these islands," he stated.

Speaking to the press after the opening, Rui Figueiredo Soares emphasized that Cabo Verde wants to achieve a fair, sustainable, and lasting climate transition.

According to the minister, CAPE24 is confronted with new challenges that add greater complexity to international relations, requiring global, systemic, and assertive analyses for the understanding and handling of each specific issue.

"The international reality's increasing complexity is evident in the crises that have been occurring, whether new, intensified, or exacerbated, of geopolitical, economic, environmental, health, migratory, and technological nature, and within the framework of democratic governance. The conflicts present in Africa, all causes combined, are the main obstacle to an accelerated and fruitful implementation of the Agreement establishing the Free Trade Area on the continent," he noted, emphasizing that foreign policy and diplomacy must not only be vigilant to these evolving and complex dynamics but must also reflect and act, bilaterally and multilaterally, to introduce dynamics that lead to more peace and security, more economic growth and sustainable development, and ultimately, more stability in the world through respect for the common rules established through the codification of international law.

This is precisely the exercise that CAPE performs. Its realization in March is extremely timely for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Regional Integration to bring its results into Cabo Verde's diplomatic field within various international forums during 2024, including the Fourth Summit of the SIDS or SIDS 4, to be held in Antigua and Barbuda in the Caribbean from May 27 to 30; the Future Summit to be organized by the Secretary-General, on the sidelines of the 78th General Assembly, on September 22 and 23 of the current year; COP29 in Azerbaijan from November 11 to 22, 2024, as well as COP30 in Brazil from November 10 to 21, 2025.

CAPE's work began with the inaugural conference, "Diplomacy Challenges in the context of climate change: (Re)defining Diplomatic Axes of Action," featuring speeches by the Minister of Agriculture and Environment, Gilberto Silva, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Portugal, João Gomes Cravinho, and the Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Services and Projects, Jorge Moreira. The moderation was handled by Ambassador José Luís Rocha.

After the inaugural theme, discussions began, followed by two thematic panels with the participation of national and foreign guest speakers.