PARTICIPATION OF THE PAN-AFRICAN PARLIAMENT IN THE UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE OF PARTIES (COP24) KATOWICE, POLAND 3 10 DECEMBER 2018

Transcription

1 PAN-AFRICAN PARLIAMENT PARLEMENT PANAFRICAIN PARLAMENTO PAN-AFRICANO البرلمان األفريقي PARTICIPATION OF THE PAN-AFRICAN PARLIAMENT IN THE UNITED NATIONS CLIMATE CHANGE CONFERENCE OF PARTIES (COP24) KATOWICE, POLAND 3 10 DECEMBER 2018 FINAL COMMUNIQUÉ

2 The Pan-African Parliament (PAP) participated in the 24 th Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP24), which took place in Katowice, Poland, from 3-14 December Mandated by the President of the PAP, H.E. Hon. Roger Nkodo DANG, and led by H.E Hon Stephen Julius Masele, First Vice-President of the institution, the delegation of the PAP comprised of 10 Parliamentarians drawn from all the PAP organs and representing the five regions of the African continent. The delegation also included staff from the Secretariat of the PAP who provided technical and logistical support. The key objective of the participation of the PAP in COP24 was to carry the hopes, aspirations and concerns of the African people to this gathering. Specifically, the PAP set out to achieve the following: Provide support to the African common position through advocacy and other related activities; Contribute to the current climate change debate by offering the perspective of African parliamentarians; Build capacity of Parliamentarians on climate issues and share best practices of addressing the negative impacts of climate change; Advocate for adequate climate legislation in order to implement and enforce the Paris Agreement in African countries; Enhance the visibility of the PAP and its mandate to a global audience and climate change stakeholders In this regard, the PAP organized and took part in various engagements and activities on the sidelines of this year s COP. The delegation participated in the annual Africa Day event, alongside the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and the African Risk Capacity (ARC).The event enabled the PAP delegation to reinforce the African common position while according the platform for Pan-African Parliamentarians to sensitize stakeholders on the African Climate Legislation Initiative (ACLI). Furthermore, the PAP side event at COP24 brought together actors from different sectors including civil society, parliamentarians, climate change experts and development partners, to discuss the urgent requirement for climate finance and the status of climate legislation in Africa.

3 The Pan-African Parliament also joined the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) for a series of engagements with policy makers from around the world in order to compare, learn and consolidate climate change legislation. These consultations resulted in the adoption of an outcome document which affirms that the full implementation of the Paris Agreement is a shared responsibility of all States while taking into account the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities under different national circumstances. In addition, world Parliamentarians gathered under the umbrella of the IPU further emphasized the role of parliamentarians in legislating and creating environmental and social policies, which are important for a formal and legal framework enabling the creation of a lowemission economy, among other resolutions. As the COP24 nears its end, the PAP draws the following conclusions related to its participation in the Conference: THE KEY OUTCOMES OF COP24 The PAP calls for the adoption of a balanced Rule Book for the implementation of the Paris Agreement, which takes into account the special needs of the African Continent. The PAP cautions against attempts to renegotiate the terms of the Paris Agreement which could jeopardize commitments made towards developing countries in helping them meet their climate change prerogatives. ON THE COMMON AFRICAN POSITION The PAP delegation affirms support for the African common position which emphasizes a need for agreement on mitigation, adaptation, finance, technology and capacity building support as cornerstones for a successful and balanced outcome. The PAP delegation welcomes the request by the African Group of Negotiators (AGN) for the inclusion of special needs and special circumstances of Africa under the Paris Agreement, on the provisional

4 agenda for COP24. The AGN is called upon to pursue this agenda in all future climate change related engagements to ensure a fair deal for Africa. ON CLIMATE FINANCE AND ACCESS TO FINANCE The PAP delegation is concerned about the lack of progress with regard to financial commitments from the developed countries to developed nations as contained in the Paris Agreement. The delegation reiterates that negotiations should address the slow approval of adaptation projects, and the lack of parity in the provision of finance between adaptation and mitigation, and reaffirm the obligation of developed country Parties to contribute in a transparent, measurable and verifiable manner towards global climate finance. This a sine a qua non condition for the Rule Book to be regarded as balanced, and for African Parliamentarians to undertake efforts to ensure adoption of the outcomes of OP24 by national legislatures. ON THE NEED FOR CLIMATE LEGISLATION The PAP delegation notes with great concern the lack of appropriate legal frameworks that address climate change in most African countries. In this regard, the PAP delegation congratulates the Republic of Kenya for finalizing and adopting a Climate Change Law, and urges other African countries to follow in their footsteps. The PAP delegation emphasizes the urgent need for African countries to put in place necessary legal frameworks and legislations to address the issue of climate change, particularly in the context of the African Climate Legislation Initiative (ACLI).

5 ON THE ROLE PLAYED BY CIVIL SOCIETY The PAP delegation acknowledges the critical role played by African civil society organizations in advocating for a fair and transparent climate change agreement for Africa and its people. The PAP delegation further recognizes the significance and strategic role of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) as a leading voice for the African Civil society in COP processes and climate change discussions. The PAP reaffirms its commitment to ensure the full participation of African peoples in the development and economic integration of the continent. As a result, the PAP Delegation to the COP24; CONGRATULATES the African Union, through the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), for the political leadership in ensuring that Africa speaks with one voice during COPs processes by establishing adequate structures to convey the African common position. EXPRESSES gratitude to the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Union Commission (AUC), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UN-ECA) and the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) for involving the PAP in the Africa Day event which reinforces the African common position and stresses the perspective of the African Parliamentarians climate change. CALLS on the Pan African Parliament to develop a Model Law on Climate Change which can serve as a guideline for African countries in their efforts to develop their own climate change laws and policies. FURTHER CALLS on African countries to prioritize the adoption of laws that protect citizens and the environment against adverse effects resulting from climate change among other environmental challenges;

6 ENCOURAGES African Parliamentarians to lead efforts to mobilize and sensitize grassroots on the impact of climate change and create policy debates that can impact their live hoods. URGES African countries to implement NDCs at national level on condition that COP24 negotiations take into account cornerstones for a successful and balanced outcome. ACKNOWLEDGES all efforts taken by civil society organizations, in particular the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, towards advocating for a fair and transparent deal for Africa during COPs processes. CONCLUDES by expressing the deepest appreciation to the Bureau of the PAP for facilitating the participation of PAP delegation in this global event. Adopted in Katowice, Poland, on the 10 th December 2018.