Africa must call for climate change solidarity at the UN
The AU’s initiative to help affected countries looks promising, but needs global backing. By Liesl Louw-Vaudran for ISS TODAY.
The African Union (AU) has developed an insurance mechanism to help member countries in the case of extreme weather conditions and natural disasters caused by climate change. As with many AU initiatives, the African Risk Capacity (ARC) is still poorly supported by member states, but this could change with added backing from the African Development Bank (AfDB) and others.
At the Southern African Development Community’s (SADC) 37th summit in Pretoria last month, AfDB president Akinwumi Adesina asked African leaders to appeal for more solidarity with Africa regarding climate change. He asked them to make this call during their speeches at the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) debates in New York from 19 to 25 September.
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Sanjit Bakshi