20 Years of African CSO Involvement in Climate Change Negotiations: Priorities, Strategies and Actions

This publication provides a snapshot of some of the challenges African CSOs have faced over the years in advocating and lobbying for urgent and enhanced action to address the climate change crisis on the continent in line with countries’ development priorities.

Climate change poses a serious threat to Africa – one of the continents most vulnerable to the adverse effects of changing climatic conditions. Despite the consistent presence and far reaching mandate of representatives of civil society in international climate negotiations, results to date fall far short of the urgent challenges climate challenge is posing on the African continent. There has been very slow and little traction in the annual UNFCCC COPs in terms of meeting Africa’s needs and priorities in climate talks. This includes prioritizing adaptation and related support in the form of finance, knowledge transfer and technology to help build the resilience of vulnerable and disadvantaged communities on the continent. Since it’s advent, the UNFCCC has paid more attention to debates on mitigation and only in the last couple of years, since 2007 (COP 13 in Bali) has adaptation been at the core of discussions, with tangible progress on the matter only being realized three years later at COP 16, Mexico in 2010.

This publication provides a snapshot of some of the challenges African CSOs have faced over the years in advocating and lobbying for urgent and enhanced action to address the climate change crisis on the continent in line with countries’ development priorities. The publication draws on the experience of CSOs registered and active on the UNFCCC database and the experience of over 35 CSOs from across sub Saharan Africa who are involved in the climate change discourse at the domestic and international level.