Amid the ongoing accommodation crisis in Belém, with just over two months left until COP30, a new controversy adds to the issue: one of the two cruise ships hired by the federal government as an emergency solution will not be able to host delegations from 20 countries.

The restriction includes UN member countries such as Cuba, Haiti, Iran, North Korea, Chad, Sudan, and Somalia on the Costa Diadema ship, operated by Costa Cruises and controlled by the Carnival Corporation & plc, which is based in the United States.

The reason is a set of regulations by the group that prevents reservations by people from nations without diplomatic relations with the United States. The measure mainly affects African countries, but also includes some from the Americas and Asia.

In a statement, the Extraordinary Secretariat of COP highlighted on Thursday, 28, that this barrier exists due to an "international requirement, which does not stem from a decision by the contracted company, the Brazilian government, Embratur, or the National COP30 Committee."

In addition to the Diadema, the Brazilian plan includes the MSC Seaview, operated by another company, which would not have any nationality-related restrictions. The selection of operators was made through a public selection, with the intermediation of Qualitours, which confirmed the restrictions.

Together, the two ships will be able to accommodate 6,000 people in over 3,900 cabins and will be docked at the Outeiro Port Terminal. Under construction, the port also raises another challenge: it is located about 20 km from downtown Belém and is separated by difficult-to-access roads, which could hinder transportation during the event.

Accommodation in stages and other solutions

From November 10 to 21, at least 50,000 people are expected in the capital of Pará, and the Brazilian government is trying to overcome logistical and infrastructure challenges less than 80 days before the major climate conference.

Accommodation distribution will follow stages coordinated by the UN itself. Initially, the cabins will be offered to the 98 smaller developing countries and island nations, with daily rates of up to US$ 220 (R$ 1,210).

Subsequently, other delegations will be able to acquire accommodations for up to US$ 600 (R$ 3,300). One of the positive aspects of the ships is their lower carbon footprint, avoiding the construction of new structures that could remain unused after the event.

Other strategies by Brazil to address the bottlenecks include building new hotels, adapting public schools and other establishments to function as 'hostels,' and partnerships with the Airbnb platform.

Emergency Meeting

After a bloc of 25 countries led by the African Group of Negotiators formally requested the relocation of the COP venue from Belém, the Brazilian government began mobilizing to tackle the exorbitant accommodation prices.

A meeting motivated by a request from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was initially scheduled for August 11 to seek a solution. It was postponed twice and finally gathered representatives from the UN and the COP presidency only on August 22.

After the meeting, the COP presidency emphasized that COP30 will not be moved from Belém and that "they are attentive and aware of the countries' needs, in addition to requiring their attendance." Until then, only 47 out of 196 countries had confirmed their participation.

As the main task force, Brazil committed to ensuring accommodation for delegations from the 72 most vulnerable countries and island states, with packages ranging from US$ 100 to US$ 200 for 15 negotiators.

With state and federal mobilization, prices started to decrease, and the Airbnb rental platform reported an average drop of 22% in prices from August compared to the high prices in February. On the other hand, users still report abusive listings that threaten the participation of both civil society, countries, and companies.

The text was translated with artificial intelligence. If you have any questions or corrections, please write to rafael.balago (at) exame.com.