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The African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) has re-affirmed its commitment to Africa’s climate and development aspirations.
Addressing a high-level
stakeholder post-COP28 meeting taking place on the margins of the African Union
(AU) summit, AGN Interim Chair, Alick Muvundika said the group will continue to
represent and defend Africa’s priorities and aspirations in the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) multilateral processes.
Dr. Muvundika said the AGN
stands ready and eager to continue receiving guidance from the African
Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) and the Committee of African
Union Heads of State on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) to ensure that the continent’s
climate interests are safeguarded.
He cited the historic
establishment and operationalisation of the loss and damage fund at COP27 and
COP28 respectively, as an outstanding outcome where the AGN was a key player in
reaching the decision and ensured that Africa’s interests were well
articulated.
“As we start the year,
looking back at COP28 and planning for 2024, I wish to re-affirm our commitment
to the continent’s cause. The group, guided by AMCEN and CAHOSCC, has in the
presented Africa, and remain a strong and united group of technical negotiators
ready to safeguard and defend Africa’s interests in the UNFCCC processes,” said
Dr. Muvundika. “As always, we remain committed to the guidance of our policy
makers at the level of the AMCEN and CAHOSCC to ensure that we keep in tune
with relevant policies guiding the continent’s development agenda.”
The AGN Interim Chair
highlighted key decisions from COP28 which include; operationalisation of the Loss
and Damage Fund where; operationalisation of the Global goal on adaptation; the
first Global Stocktake (GST); and the Just Transition Pathways work programme.
In highlighting the
multifaceted nature of climate change and its impacts on various sectors most
African countries, Dr. Muvundika said the group is looking at innovative ways
of how to constantly engage and enhance synergies between climate negotiators
and policy makers from the environment sector and other climate sensitive
sectors such as agriculture, water and health among others.
“Climate change is a
development issue beyond the environment sector. For example, climate impacts
on health and agriculture have widely been articulated. For the first time, we
had a health day at COP28 where climate and health issues were discussed. As
negotiators, we therefore need innovative approaches to engage with these
climate sensitive sectors in order to expand not only our own understanding but
also be of support to the entire development spectrum which is impacted by
climate change,” said Dr. Muvundika as he addressed the AGN LC post-COP28
meeting in Sham el Sheikh, Egypt, supported by United Nations Development
Programme (UNDP), Egypt.
Speaking during the same
meeting, UNDP Egypt Resident Representative, Alessandro Fracassetti,
highlighted the importance of partnerships and lauded the existing partnership
between UNDP and the Egyptian government, and by extension, the AGN.
“I would like to take a
moment to highlight the fruitful partnership between UNDP and the COP27
Presidency over the past couple of years. The designation of COP27 as both the
"Implementation COP" and the "African COP" has been
instrumental in shaping the outcomes of this conference, and acknowledge the
substantial efforts and resources dedicated by the Government before and during
COP27,” said Fracassetti.
And representative of the
Arab Republic of Egypt, Ambassador Mohammed Nasr commended UNDP for
consistently supporting Egypt and AGN and emphasised the importance of the AGN
to Africa’s unified approach to climate change negotiations in the interest of
the continent’s development needs.
“This meeting comes after a
crucial conference, COP28 in Dubai, where critical decisions were reached. This
meeting will discuss several critical issues that will feed into key decisions
at various levels and meetings such as CAHOSCC and UNEA. We are therefore happy
to support continued efforts around a united approach to Africa’s development
challenges,” said Ambassador Nasr.
