Our journey into 2024 commenced with a thoughtful staff reflection meeting, dissecting the hits and misses of the previous year. From this introspection, we’ve crafted new and effective strategies, poised to amplify our influence in international dialogue processes. Simultaneously, our focus remains steadfastly fixed on the plights and needs of communities on the front lines of the climate crisis.
In the vast landscape of geopolitics, challenges abound, but what is policy and advocacy work without a bit of spice? Undeterred, we navigate the intricate space, ensuring we are not just strapped up but also firmly strapped in to tackle these challenges head-on.
In COP29, Azerbaijan’s Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Mukhtar Babayev, assumes the role of COP president. However, as a Reuters article pointed out, the trend of individuals with deep ties to the oil and gas industry steering U.N. climate talks persists. Last year’s summit in Dubai was presided over by Sultan Al Jaber, the current chief of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company. While this reality remains, our unwavering commitment is to consistently safeguard climate talks from corporate dominance driven by national or personal gain.
Amidst these political landscapes, we are excited to announce the call for applications for the Nairobi Summer School on Climate Justice, now entering its 4th year. This time around, we are fostering deeper collaborations with universities and tertiary institutions, promising an even richer two-week rigorous program on climate justice. Aligned with the African Union’s 2063 agenda, now entering its second decade of implementation, the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance operates following select tenets and the ethos of Pan-Africanism, fostering an enduring partnership with the AU and its organs. Emphasizing collaboration and implementation, the alliance identifies key assumptions and critical success factors for the Plan, including the robust integration of resilience in the Second Ten-Year Implementation Plan (STYIP), active engagement of stakeholders, harmonization of National Development Plans with Regional and Continental Plans, fortified human and institutional capacities, and the complete ownership and responsibility of STYIP implementation by AU Member States.
Now, before I lose you in the labyrinth of words, let me provide you with a glimpse into what the first quarter has looked like for the alliance and its partners. Happy reading:RoundUp Voices – Qt 1 2024