A Declaration calling for African governments, the African Union, and African Group of Negotiators to act in the interests of Africa and to push for “real” solutions to the climate crisis to protect the people of Africa and the planet was launched on Tuesday, October 4, 2022.
Tagged: “The African People’s Declaration on COP27 – Challenging Injustice in a time of Transition”, the document was launched during the pre-COP27 Ministerial Meeting in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The African Climate Justice Collective (ACJC), together with local partners in the DRC CORAP and Toboyi Molili, called for concrete and urgent action to address the climate crisis particularly as it impacts on African women and communities.
Emmanuel Musuyu of CORAP and Toboyi Molili said: “We are hopeful that our voices will echo inside the halls of power at the Pre-COP Ministerial. The African people are living the climate crisis now and their demands for climate justice must be taken into the so-called African COP in Egypt this November.”
The global launch of the Declaration comes just before the African People’s Counter COP (APCC2022) to be held across the continent from October 17 to 21, 2022, and includes an online event and several local and national People’s Assemblies and other actions by members, allies and endorsers.
The Declaration was developed by conveners who make up the ACJC, comprising 27 movement-based and allied organisations and partners and who contributed to the document for a period of five weeks. It is the first part of the African People’s Counter COP 2022.
The call for action includes these key initial set of demands:
- Provide Climate financing and pay climate debt owed to Africa
- Develop Clear and Ambitious Commitments in line with 1.5 degrees
- Build Food Sovereignty for resilience of the African People
- Stop financing false solutions which are a dangerous distraction
- Leave Fossil Fuels underground and stop the expansion of gas on the continent
- Transform energy system for energy justice
- Build Peace and bring an end to Climate Hypocrisy
- Stop Waste Colonialism, excessive consumption by elites and advance a circular economy
- Respect and uphold the rights of people, including the Right to Say No to destructive infrastructure and other projects.
