PACJA Forges strategic partnerships for the advancement of climate justice for Africa

Executive Director of the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) Dr.- Mithika Mwenda accompanied by Charles Mwangi, the Head of Programs and Research met with Tom Grass from Environmental Defender Fund (EDF) on the sidelines of the UN Water Conference taking place in New York to explore areas of collaboration in various initiatives undertaken by both parties.

Environmental Defense Fund is an organization that aims to preserve the natural systems on which all life depends.

PACJA and EDF agreed to collaborate in various initiatives in the building up to COP28. Among other discussed initiatives of common interest are; the Nairobi summer school on Climate Justice; scheduled to take place from the 3^rd-14^th of July in Nairobi, Kenya. The school provides a platform for young activists to be trained on the key tenets of climate justice and to have an understanding of the various contexts on which climate justice exists.

 The two organizations are notably involved in UNFCCC processes and would be able to apply their expertise and influence in the informal and formal side events on accelerating adaptation in agriculture at Substantial Body (SBs) in Bonn, join submission to UNFCCC on views on the elements of decision FCCC/CP/2022/.

This also carries through to the establishment of the four-year Sharm El Sheikh Joint Work on implementation of Climate action on agriculture and food security.

The cover decision of COP27 recognizes the fundamental priority of safeguarding food security and ending hunger, and the vulnerabilities of food production systems to the adverse impacts of climate change, and we are therefore tasked with ensuring that the African perspective and the priorities are shaped in a way that allows for Africa to see an achievable and sustainable future. Operationalizing the joint work on implementation of climate action agriculture and food security will see PACJA have a first-hand opportunity to provide evidence-based and scientifically proven research that will guide the conversations at Bonn and at COP28 come December 2023.