After a fire hit the pavilion of countries at the United Nations Climate Conference (COP30), the United Nations (UN) handed control of the restricted area where negotiations take place to Brazil and stated that the place is no longer considered “a Blue Zone”.
The area designated for negotiations during COP30 is under UN command, including the security part. After the fire and the order to empty the place by the Fire Department, the United Nations handed over control to Brazil.
According to a statement from the UNFCCC, the UN’s climate arm, firefighters will carry out an inspection at the site and an update on the scenario will be made at 4pm.
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The fire that hit the countries’ pavilion started in the early afternoon of this Thursday, 20th, and left no injuries. According to reports from people who passed by the place at the time of the fire, there was a rush and some people even jumped gates to leave the Blue Zone.
UN had already criticized infrastructure
Last week, the United Nations (UN) sent a letter to the Brazilian government harshly criticizing the security and infrastructure of the United Nations Climate Summit (COP-30). The complaint was forwarded after an attempted invasion of the blue area, where climate negotiations are taking place, by protesters from an indigenous movement.
In a three-page letter, the secretary of the UNFCCC (UN climate arm), Simon Stiell, also cites problems such as the lack of air conditioning and water leaks in some locations in the Blue Zone, the area where negotiations take place.
“During recent episodes of heavy rain, several areas of the site experienced significant flooding. Water penetrated through the ceiling and light fixtures, creating not only disruption, but also potential safety hazards due to electrical exposure,” the letter noted.
