BAKU: The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) is once again, accompanying the African Group of Negotiators at the 29th Conference of the Parties on Climate Change – COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 11 to 22 November 2024. COP29 commenced in Baku on Monday bringing together world leaders, policymakers, and activists with a renewed commitment to address intensifying climate crises.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, ECA’s James Murombedzi, whose team provides backstopping support to the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), highlighted that finance will be the focus of COP29. Developing countries urgently need support to accelerate the transition to clean energy and deal with the impacts of climate change. In this regard, COP29 aims to set a new finance goal that unlocks the trillions of dollars needed and provide confidence it will be delivered.
The AGN plays a key role in the push for a strong and concerted voice on key priorities for Africa. On 12 November, 2024, ECA will hold a session at th
e African Pavilion with the African Group of Climate Change Negotiators to create further awareness and identify challenges and opportunities for national governments, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and African regional institutions on the urgent need for regulatory tools to manage carbon markets effectively with emphasis on cleaner technologies to achieve emissions reduction targets.
On 15 November, ECA will be a contributing partner to a side event organized by the World Resource Institute (WRI) on the pathways to affordable finance for energy transition and energy security in Africa. Among other sessions, the African Group of Negotiators will hold a briefing event on the status of COP29 negotiations on 16 November, with the objective of promoting interactions between various African constituencies and the AGN and to provide the negotiators with critical feedback.
In this regard, ECA will on 20th November hold an event with AUDA-NEPAD on Loss and Damage in Africa to exp
lore the modalities for strengthening Africa’s understanding of the role of Loss and Damage fund and to review the continent’s readiness to quantify losses and seek compensation from the fund.
The COP28, COP29 AND COP30 presidencies–the Troika–has called on the UN Secretary-General to mobilize the entire UN System to support Parties, especially developing countries, in designing, delivering, and implementing the National Determined Contributions – NDCs. In response to this call, ECA has been coordinating fortnightly meetings of Pan-African institutions (AUC, ECA, AfDB, AUDA-NEPAD), which are mandated by the AU Summit to support Africa’s participation at the global climate change negotiations.
At the core of this assistance is the technical backstopping and logistics support to the African Group of Climate Change Negotiators (AGN), ECA revealed in a press release. This year’s conference in Baku promises a renewed emphasis on actionable commitments and innovative funding mechanisms to drive global progress.