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Tim Davis, COP media center manager for 17 years: 'I'm too lonely'

Tim Davis, head of the COP Media Center, here in Sharm el-Sheikh, November 15, 2022. © Géraud Bosman-Delzons/RFI

Text by: Géraud Bosman-Delzons Follow

5 mins

3,430 media were accredited for COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, making it one of the most covered events of the year.

Since 2006, a man has been in charge of the logistics organization to welcome journalists from all over the world.

Tim Davis is considering handing over, but will continue to support the COPs “ 

 ”.

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What is your background ?

I was for 25 years a film producer in Kenya, my native country.

And one of my clients was the United Nations Environment Program which is headquartered in Nairobi, the capital.

In 2006, the COP was organized there.

I was offered to take care of the TV coverage of the COP and the media in general.

I haven't stopped since.

This is my 17th COP.

How many media are accredited for this COP27?

There are 3,430 accredited media, of which 50% are TV and radio teams (about 30% radio) and 50% are journalists.

There were 30 at my first COP in 2006 and around 5,000 in Paris.

All continents are represented.

The majority are from Egypt.

The media must be big business here because there are so many of them.

Some countries are not there.

A lot of the European media that were in Glasgow didn't come either.

And it is often a financial challenge for African and South American media to come to a COP.

Who pays and how much to get a seat in this media center?

All the infrastructure that houses the media center is provided by the host country.

It's a very big investment [he gave up telling us the cost, editor's note].

This COP has economic repercussions on Sharm el-Sheikh, which was hard hit by the Covid.

46,117 people were registered for this COP [but only 27,741 were physically present, Ed].

All of them stay in hotels, go to restaurants, use taxis.

Part of the revenue will go to the state.

But we are not at all sure that the investments made for the COPs will be recovered 100% by the country.

How are the media who will be able to participate selected?

Everyone can participate.

You have to show a press card or at least a letter of recommendation.

In any case, each candidate for accreditation is checked by the accreditation team.

And not everyone is necessarily accredited.

About 15% are not accepted.

There are always activists who come through.

When do you start preparing for a COP?

It takes about a year.

So, as soon as this COP is over, we will start the next one, which will take place in Dubai [United Arab Emirates].

The organizers of COP28 are here and we have meetings to prepare it according to the many criteria of the specifications.

My functions are quite broad: I must first draw the plans for the center which must occupy an area of ​​5,466 m² [the size of a football field, editor's note].

For that, I have to estimate how many media are going to apply and, then, I have to accommodate them in booths of three different sizes.

But this year in particular, my estimates were off.

I did not anticipate the media enthusiasm for this COP.

I thought Sharm el-Sheikh would be a smaller event, smaller than Glasgow.

I took as a basis for calculations the figures of Marrakech in 2016, the COP which followed the COP of Paris, with an increase of course.

People were frustrated.

So I still have to learn.

Climate change is becoming an increasingly important issue and attracting attention.

Do you feel under pressure?

Any job that involves people is stressful because you can never please everyone.

So those who are not come to me to complain.

There are also pressures from the United Nations, which have expectations that only I can meet.

I work for the UNFCCC [United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change] as a consultant.

I am too alone to do this job, I have no assistance, except that of a few young people, locals, mainly volunteers to help with the COP.

When I started, 17 years ago, this position did not exist, I created it from scratch.

Since then, my work has increased considerably.

I have 450 emails that I could not answer.

The United Nations budget is really tight.

For example, there are only four people to check journalists who want accreditation.

The structure of the UNFCCC is skeletal.

What is your best memory ?

I have a lot.

17 years old, in a different country every year, I'm very lucky.

I like meeting people.

My best COP was Lima, Peru.

It's wonderful, a very calm COP, Lima was sunny, not like in Europe at this season.

The people were competent.

It was an easy COP for me, compared to this one, which is the hardest I've had to manage.

Why ?

Because of all the difficulties.

The building of this media center is not finished.

The signage is not good, the lights were installed late, the air conditioning was much too strong, we ran out of water, there is probably a 30% lack of internet supply, not everyone has the cables.

But Egypt started from scratch, which is not the case with developed countries.

From this point of view, the work they have done is admirable.

They really tried to give the best.

Are you thinking of handing over?

I really need to train someone.

But I will support the UNFCCC as long as possible and I will be in Dubai next year.

I admire the people who work for this institution, and I support the mission they seek to accomplish.

Without the UNFCCC, there would be no urgency to achieve the 1.5°C target.

It brings together 196 countries to discuss how to improve our lives.

It's just shameful that it is not sufficiently recognized and funded for its true value and needs.

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