In politics, nothing is left to chance. Egypt’s successful bid to host the 18th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP18) in Sharm El-Sheikh in 2028 goes far beyond hosting another international conference. It gives Egypt a strategic platform to help shape one of Africa’s emerging diplomatic challenges: how countries manage drought, land degradation and water scarcity in a world facing mounting climate pressures. The timing is particularly significant. In 2027, Ethiopia will host COP32 in Addis Ababa. One year later, Egypt will host COP18 in Sharm El-Sheikh. For two consecutive years, Africa will be at the centre of the global climate and environmental agenda, through two conferences hosted by countries whose futures are deeply connected by the Nile, even as their relationship remains defined by one of Africa’s most complex disputes over transboundary water resources. This is precisely where the significance of Egypt’s move lies. The dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia over the Nile and the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is not simply about the management of a dam. It concerns the future of a shared resource in a region already facing increasing pressures from climate change, drought, population growth and food insecurity. As the GERD moves into operation, the question of predictable and sustainable management of shared water resources during periods of drought becomes increasingly important, not only for Egypt and Ethiopia, but for Africa as a whole. Egypt’s hosting of COP18 can therefore provide Cairo with an opportunity to move the conversation beyond a narrow bilateral framework and towards a broader African and international question: How should countries manage shared water resources in an era of increasing drought and climate stress? In a world where the multilateral system is facing growing pressure, Egypt’s decision to host COP18 also reflects the strategic value Cairo places on multilateral diplomacy. International forums offer more than visibility. They can shape narratives, build coalitions and create the political space needed to address complex disputes and emerging challenges. COP17 in Mongolia further strengthens the significance of the timing. Countries postponed agreement on a proposed global framework for drought, leaving one of the most consequential issues in international environmental diplomacy unresolved. The agenda now moves to Egypt. COP18 gives Cairo an opportunity not merely to host another round of negotiations, but to influence how the international community responds to drought before it develops into a wider crisis of development, security and stability. Egypt has already demonstrated that hosting a COP can translate into diplomatic influence. COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh was a defining moment for Egypt’s international climate diplomacy. Beyond placing the country at the centre of global climate negotiations, it delivered the historic decision to establish new funding arrangements, including the Loss and Damage Fund, to support countries particularly vulnerable to climate impacts. It also demonstrated Egypt’s ability to bridge developed and developing countries and bring the priorities of the Global South to the centre of the multilateral system. COP27 therefore provides an important precedent for what Egypt could seek to achieve through COP18. Egypt’s environmental diplomacy also has a longer history. In 2018, Sharm El-Sheikh hosted CBD COP14, strengthening Egypt’s role as a convener on biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. COP27, however, demonstrated a greater ambition: Egypt’s ability to move beyond hosting international discussions towards helping shape their outcomes. The deeper strategic opportunity lies in finance. Land restoration and drought resilience remain significantly underfinanced despite their importance for climate adaptation, food security and economic stability. Egypt can use COP18 to advance a different proposition: investment in land and water resilience should not be viewed simply as environmental expenditure, but as an investment in development, economic security and long-term stability. And if COP27 helped establish Loss and Damage as one of the defining pillars of climate justice, COP18 could help establish drought resilience, water security and land restoration as pillars of climate security. Success at COP18 will therefore not be measured simply by the scale of the conference or the number of participants. It will be measured by Egypt’s ability to use the presidency to build coalitions, influence international norms and connect water, land and drought with the broader questions of security and development. And that is where diplomacy goes beyond hosting a conference. Dr. Karim Morsy, the American University in CairoThe post Opinion | Egypt Hosting UNCCD COP18: Diplomacy Beyond the Conference — and the Nile at the Heart of the Scene first appeared on Dailynewsegypt.
