A group of Non-State actors seeking to participate in the ongoing Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi have criticized organizers over what they say is being sidelined and deviating from the main agenda of the summit.
A statement made by the Africa Climate Summit Non-State Actors (ACS-NSA) at Sarova Stanley Hotel in Nairobi, expressed deep concern and disappointment over the preparation and agenda of the Summit, saying there have been organizational lapses, apparent civil society exclusion and Western interest dominance, which are also set to mar the Summit.
“The hallmark of the organizational confusion and inertia manifests in the accreditation process where exhausted delegates are tossed from the accreditation venue to the Ministry of Environment for clearance process for what is said to be approval,” the group said in the statement.
”Summit organizers have deliberately failed to ensure adequate participation and consultation of non-state actors, especially those from the most vulnerable and marginalized communities, in the planning and implementation of the Summit. The African parliamentarians are more conspicuously missing in the consultation process, yet their representation, legislation and oversight role is apparent in processes such as the ACS, ” they added.
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Additionally, the group also urged President William Ruto to open the summit to NGOs to come in and express their concerns.
As a result of their grievances, the players have issued demands to African governments, in a document giving detailed recommendations on how to successfully handle climate change issues in the continent.
The first demand is for African leaders to acknowledge the urgent need to address the climate emergency and protect the rights and livelihoods of its citizens.
The redlines document also calls for a just and equitable transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future that respects the rights and dignity of all people.
Ahead of the summit, the group has called on African leaders to stand by the principles of climate justice, human rights, gender equality, and intergenerational equity in all climate policies and actions.
They demand that developed countries fulfil their historical responsibility and provide adequate and predictable finance, technology transfer, and capacity building to support adaptation, mitigation, and loss and damage in Africa.
The group also rejects false solutions and narratives undermining African communities’ rights, interests, and sovereignty, such as carbon markets, geoengineering, nuclear energy, and shared responsibility principles. They further reject promoting carbon markets as they do not serve the climate justice agenda for Africa.
The redlines also call for a just and equitable transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient future that respects the rights and dignity of all people.
The group demands that African leaders commit to a just and fair transition to renewable energy, prioritizing energy access for the poor and
marginalized and guaranteeing community ownership and participation.
Lastly, the group emphasizes the need for African leaders to put the African people above all personal and collective political and economic interests.
As a collective, the Africa Climate Summit Non-State Actors hope that the African leaders will champion and uphold these demands at the upcoming Africa Climate Summit and beyond.
ACS-NSA is a pan-African platform advocating for a pro-African agenda in all critical spaces at the summit and beyond. The ACS-NSA has a Secretariat supported by the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) and is organized into clusters that draw members from regional CSOs, Indigenous People, Faith Actors, Trade Unions, the African Private Sector, Farmer Organizations, Women and Gender Constituencies, Youth Movements, Academia and Research Institutions, Foundations and Finance Institutions.
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