AU-ECA-AfDB Joint Press Release No. 73/2010

Addis Ababa, 18 October 2010 (ECA) –The Seventh African Development Forum ended Friday 15th October 2010, following fruitful debates during the various panel discussions and parallel sessions over the course of five days. Stakeholders across the African continent including governments, civil society, and private sector, invited by the joint organizing committee comprising of the African Development Bank (AfDB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the African Union Commission, deliberated on the challenges of climate variability and change to Africa and the opportunities it presents for the continent.

Jointly organized by the Joint ECA-AUC-AfDB, the Forum concluded with a common statement with 56 points of agreement on a number of pertinent climate change issues vital to Africa. It was agreed by the various stakeholders based on the evidence and impact on climate change, that large emitting countries should make deep emission cuts and that the international community should support Africa to promote broad-based, equitable, resource-efficient and environmental sustainable growth.

Concluding the Forum were Ms. Jenifer Kargbo, Deputy Executive Secretary of the ECA, and Ms. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union. They both expressed satisfaction with the successful deliberations and outcomes of the Forum.

The final statement of ADF VII highlights some key challenges and opportunities in the areas of economics; peace and security; governance and leadership; integration; infrastructure development; social and human development; climate change; science and technology innovation; and capacity building. It states for example, that climate change could severely undermine progress towards sustainable development, including the attainment of targets set out in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It however, notes that climate change provides an opportunity to pursue a sustainable development path given responsive leadership and good governance at all levels.

The establishment by the Secretary General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, of a High-Level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing, co-chaired by prime ministers Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia and Jens Stoltenberg of Norway to deliberate on the delivery of the financial pledges contained in the Copenhagen Accord was also commended.

The forum also agreed to strengthen the capacity of the Conference of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) to mobilize political commitment and provide political leadership in regional and international climate change processes by providing it reliable and timely information and policy advice on climate change; the African Union summits will add to that by endorsing the actions of the Conference.

The stakeholders have agreed to work towards African-led research and knowledge, stronger rule of law and regulatory framework to build the capacities of non-state actors and creating an enabling environment for the private sector so that it could support low-carbon development.

African countries are expected to put more effort on climate risk management, including monitoring, assessment, early warning and disaster risk reduction. The continent’s climate change negotiators will pursue a binding and fair global agreement, with provisions for adequate financing for adaptation works in Africa.

They will also strongly support the establishment of the Africa Green Fund by the African Development Bank. The countries are also expected to move on adaptation initiatives instead of waiting for the negotiations to mobilize resources.

Efforts will also be undertaken on science, technology and innovation capacity-building for adaptation and mitigation and on the provision of climate data, official statistics and geographic information.

The consensus statement will feed into relevant international dialogue towards the COP 16 in Cancun, Mexico and further inform Africa’s common negotiating position on climate change. It will also form the basis for the preparation of an African Action Plan on Climate Change that the AfDB, ECA, and AUC will implement jointly in collaboration with stakeholders and partners.
Issued by a joint communication team comprising:
AUC, AfDB and ECA


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