Madrid, Spain 8 December 2019 – The twenty-fifth session of the Conference of the Parties (COP25)which is currently holding from 2 – 13 December 2019 in Madrid, Spain, is a crowd puller. Different institutions dealing with climate related issues have all converged in Madrid to exchange views, develop strategies and showcase the wealth of climate action undertaken by non-Party Stakeholders so as to help galvanise the action of regions, cities, business, investors and civil society.

The African Union (AU) delegation to COP25 has contributed to all the meetings and activities organised to discuss ways and strategies aimed at mitigating the devastating impact of climate change to humanity in general, and the African people in particular.  They have taken part in several high level meetings aimed at sharing views on ways to find a lasting solutions to the negative effect of climate change in the world.  

One such meeting is the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) which took place on 8 December 2019 at the Hotel ME Madrid Plaza de Santa Ana, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Environment, forestry and fisheries of South Africa. 

During the meeting, updates on  key African initiatives  were presented including:  the Africa Adaptation Initiative;  Africa Renewable Energy Initiative; the report of the Climate Commission for the Sahel Region; Climate Commission for the Congo Basin; Climate Commission for Island states and Ocean economy. The meeting also discussed the financing mechanism for climate change projects and initiatives in Africa. 

Mrs Estherine Fotabong, Director of Programme Innovation and Planning at the African Union Development Agency (AUDA-NEPAD), stated that, “The African Union Development Agency will continue to support AMCEN and the various African Group of Negotiators towards strengthening an African voice in global engagements.”

Mrs Fotabong also stated that “As part of its institutional reforms, the Africa Union also made a decision to establish an AUDA-NEPAD Centre of Excellence on Climate Resilience and Adaptation. The Centre will play a leading role in supporting countries and institutions by providing technical and evidence based guidance guidance, tools and resources to support resilience building in climate change and other development programmes on the continent.”

COP25 is expected to take the next crucial steps in the UN climate change process for the full operationalisation of the Paris Climate Change Agreement. The conference furthermore serves to build ambition ahead of 2020, the year in which countries have committed to submit new and updated national climate action plans. 

The event will take stock of the fifteenth session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol (CMP 15), and the second session of the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement (CMA 2); the fifty-first sessions of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA 51) and the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI 51).