Heads of state are due to start arriving in the Amazonian city of Belém in a month’s time for the United Nations climate summit, yet much of the infrastructure intended to welcome them remains incomplete.
Next to what has been called the “leaders’ village” — a collection of low-rise buildings that will accommodate many visiting presidents — stands another three-storey structure that is still far from finished.
The building’s white, glass-fronted façade topped with a helipad overlooks the complex that will host the 197-nation climate summit known as COP30. However, behind it, away from the main road, the rear remains a bare shell of concrete and exposed brick.
The government of Pará state has stated that it does not regard the unfinished structure as part of the leaders’ village or the broader public works programme for COP30, although it confirmed that the helipad “will be made available to meet the needs of the conference.”
Nevertheless, the active construction site reflects the city’s frantic final push in the remaining month before the summit.
According to the state government, more than 30 public works projects — worth 4.5 billion reais (£700 million) — are progressing on schedule. These include new roads, drainage channels, parks, and refurbished tourist attractions.
The noise of construction echoes through Belém’s international airport and its hotels, several of which are still under construction ahead of the event.
Work is also continuing on a pier designed to host large cruise ships that will provide thousands of additional berths for visiting delegations. Another terminal intended to receive “floating hotels” was supposed to open in July but was only 79% complete as of last month.
With a shortage of hotel rooms pushing prices to record highs, delegations have been forced to get creative with accommodation plans, fuelling friction between diplomats, U.N. organisers, and the Brazilian government.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva brushed aside concerns during a recent visit to Belém.
“I’m going to want to sleep on a boat,” he joked during a local television interview. “We don’t have the boat yet, but I’ll find one.”
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles laun...
The feature film “44”, set against the backdrop of Azerbaijan’s 44-day war in 2020, premiered...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling t...
One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a fresh attack on Riyadh's international airport on Sunday, Saudi authorities reported, a day after a strike claimed by Yemen's Houthis killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
Yemen's Houthis renewed warning to airlines, airport workers, and travellers against using Saudi airports, saying the warning should be taken seriously and that the kingdom “bore responsibility for failed interceptions”, a day after an attack on Riyadh's international airport that killed 12 people.
The Houthi movement has escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting the airport in Riyadh and other cities, killing more than a dozen people.
The Kremlin on Monday rejected a 60-day ceasefire idea proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow his country to hold presidential elections, saying it wanted an overall peace deal instead.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg joined high school students protesting outside a school in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis on Tuesday, as a wave of student demonstrations continues across France.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a newly opened defence museum displaying weapons developed under his leadership, including an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.
Southeast Asian foreign ministers are set to discuss measures to tackle transboundary haze during preparatory meetings ahead of the ASEAN summit in November, as forest and land fires in Indonesia continue to affect air quality across the region, the Philippines said on Tuesday.
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the United Kingdom believes Iran was likely behind an alleged plot connected to RAF Fairford, a military airbase in Gloucestershire in England that has played a role in U.S. operations against Iran, escalating tensions between London and Tehran.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment