The Role of African Legislators in the implementation of the Paris Agreement

At the occasion of COP25 held in Madrid, Spain on 02 – 13 December 2019, the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) joined by the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Pan-African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), Africa Group of Negotiators (AGN) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Francophone (APF) convened non-PAP Parliamentarians from across the continent on the subject of ‘the Role of African Legislators in the implementation of the Paris Agreement; unpacking the challenges and prospects.’

African Parliamentarians;

1. Applaud the move by the Pan-African Parliament to establish a Climate Change Desk in a bid to fight climate injustice and climate change.
2. Call on African Governments and Development Partners in Climate Agenda to urgently reinforce capacity of Parliamentarians across the Continent to address the challenges emerging from the continuing climate discourse, the sluggish implementation of the Nationally Determined Contributions as well as the implementation of the Paris Agreement.
3. Urge Parliaments to consider active involvement and participation of the Private Sector at National Level in the Climate discourse to collectively seek and find solutions.
4. Emphasise the urgency of sensitizing concerned and affected parties on the need to intensify the campaign for reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to 1.5°C.
5. Encourage parties to address the worrisome slow approval of adaptation projects, the lack of parity in the provision of finance between adaptation and mitigation.
6. Demand that Africa be recognized as a region with special circumstances and needs.
7. Call on the global community to provide resources for loss and damage, scale up finance and capacity building that will help African countries build resilience and take on their chosen low carbon development pathway in the spirit of Article 9.4 of the Paris Agreement.
8. Demand a review of the Warsaw International Mechanism on loss and damage to have a Clear Means of Implementation of Financing especially for emergency response in Africa.
9. Request Developed Country Parties to oblige to contribute in a transparent, measurable and verifiable manner towards global climate finance.