Strategic Meeting in Kampala to Amplify Climate Action in Central and East Africa

Kampala, Uganda – 7 May 2025

In a bold stride toward unified regional climate action, key civil society actors converged at the Africana Hotel in Kampala on Wednesday, 7th May, for a strategic meeting that signals a new chapter in collaborative climate justice efforts across Central and East Africa.

Convened under a shared vision for a just, inclusive, and sustainable future, representatives from PACJA Uganda, PACJA DRC, PEPA Cameroun, PEPA DRC, PEPA Uganda, and PEPA Germany sat together for a face-to-face dialogue marked by honesty, resolve, and mutual respect. This coordination meeting was the incubation of a formidable regional force against the climate crisis.

A Call for Deepened Synergy

The meeting’s central objective was unambiguous: to identify and harness collective opportunities for impactful joint action. With each organization deeply embedded in its local context and rich in technical and grassroots experience, the gathering offered fertile ground for advancing a shared continental agenda—one that prioritizes climate justice, resilience building, and equitable development pathways.

“We are at a turning point,” one delegate noted. “The fragmentation of our efforts has long diluted our collective power. This moment demands unity, clarity of purpose, and strategic collaboration.”

Discussions explored pragmatic pathways for regional synchronization, ranging from coordinated advocacy at the African Union and United Nations levels to joint capacity-building programs, cross-border climate monitoring, and harmonized approaches to policy influence. Participants emphasized the importance of intersectional approaches that connect climate action with human rights, gender equality, and community development.

The Power of Local Roots and Global Reach

What makes this coalition particularly potent is the interplay between localized knowledge and international connectivity. Organizations like PACJA and PEPA have consistently proven their ability to bridge the global and the grassroots. From the rainforests of the Congo Basin to Uganda’s vulnerable drylands and Cameroon’s coastal zones, their deep ties to affected communities ensure that proposed solutions are not only contextually relevant but also locally owned.

PEPA Germany’s involvement further reinforces the collaborative’s ability to bring African perspectives into broader global conversations—especially critical in this post-COP28, pre-COP29 moment, when the credibility of international climate finance mechanisms and the implementation of loss and damage arrangements remain under scrutiny.

Looking Ahead: Building a Climate Justice Alliance

The Kampala meeting concluded on an optimistic and forward-looking note, with stakeholders expressing a unified commitment to institutionalize this synergy. Plans are already underway to formulate a regional action framework, set up a joint communication mechanism, and prepare a collective position for upcoming Pan-African and international climate convenings.

This meeting held in Kampala was a strategic ignition point—a recognition that African-led collaboration, built on solidarity, expertise, and shared values, is the most powerful vehicle to confront the climate emergency.

As climate impacts escalate and development divides widen, Central and East Africa have no time to lose. The coalition forged in Kampala represents not just hope, but strategic intent. And that, in the world of climate justice, is everything.