Non-State Actors Disappointed With Preparations For Africa Climate Summit In Nairobi
Non-state actors seeking to participate in the impending Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi have criticized the summit’s organizers for allegedly marginalizing and deviating from the summit’s main agenda.
In a statement, the Africa Climate Summit Non-State Actors (ACS-NSA) expressed deep concern and disappointment over the preparation and agenda of the Summit, citing organizational lapses, the apparent exclusion of civil society, and the dominance of Western interests as factors that are likely 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.
In addition, the ACS-NSA alleged that Summit organizers failed to guarantee adequate participation and consultation of non-state actors, particularly those from the most vulnerable and marginalized communities, in the planning and execution 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,” the group said further.
The group also expressed grave concern that the summit agenda continues to prioritize market-based solutions and the participation of multinational corporations while ignoring the needs and rights of the people and the planet.
“We believe that, though we have few hours to the kick-off of the Summit, we still think that President Ruto and the African Union have an opportunity to rethink the agenda to allow more space for dialogue and action on climate justice, adaptation, finance, loss and damage, and human rights – issues we strongly believe fundamentally crucial for Africa’s wellbeing, but which have tactfully been relegated to the periphery,” the statement read further.
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The conference, titled Africa Climate Summit 2023, will be conducted at the KICC between September 4 and September 6, 2023, and will attract thousands of dignitaries from across the African continent.
The summit will center on the topic of ‘Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World’ and seeks to promote a positive, climate-compatible vision for Africa.
Friday, Nairobi County Police Commander Adamson Bungei announced that access to certain roadways within Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) will be restricted to facilitate the summit.
He issued a traffic directive and provided motorists with alternate routes to prevent inconveniences.
Taifa Road, Parliament Road, and Harambee Avenue have been designated as Red zones, with access restricted to delegates with the proper credentials.
ACS-NSA is a pan-African platform that promotes a pro-African agenda in all key summit spaces and beyond. The ACS-NSA has a Secretariat supported by the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) and is organized into clusters comprised of regional CSOs, Indigenous People, Faith Actors, Trade Unions, the African Private Sector, Farmer Organizations, Women and Gender Constituencies, Youth Movements, Academia, Research Institutions, Foundations, and Financial Institutions.
Non-State Actors Disappointed With Preparations For Africa Climate Summit In Nairobi