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Tuesday, March 19, 2024

UCLG moves to cement partnerships at Africa Climate Week

The United Cities and Local Governments of Africa (UCLG Africa) has said that, courtesy of its Climate Task Force, it is playing a critical role at the ongoing Africa Climate Week in Accra, Ghana, where the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) asked it to co-ordinate and lead on Policy Block 2 promoting Cities and Local Action.

UCLG Africa
Secretary General of UCLG Africa, Jean-Pierre Elong Mbassi, with a delegate during a session at the 2019 Africa Climate Week

According to the group, the structure is a perfect platform of exchange on the common challenges and opportunities faced by all African stakeholders.

“Building strong strategic partnerships is at the heart of The Climate Task Force, that also hosts the Covenant of Mayors for sub-Sahara Africa’s (CoM SSA) “Help Desk” based in UCLG Africa’s Regional Office in Accra. With the recent appointment of the Mayor of Accra on to the Executive Board of the Global Covenant of Mayors, Africa Climate Week provides a great opportunity to cement Accra as a strategic climate hub and bring cities and local governments into the process of the Paris Agreement,” the UCLG Africa submitted in a statement made available to EnviroNews on Wednesday, March 20, 2019.

Tuesday, March 19 saw the launch of a new strategic partnership agreement between ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability-Africa (ICLEI Africa), and UCLG Africa, where the duo cemented their partnership with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement at the “Pitch Hub” in Accra.

The Memorandum of Agreement, it was gathered, strengthens an existing collaboration to accelerate the implementation of global and African development goals at subnational level in Africa. This new partnership is said to be fundamental within the Framework of the UCLG Africa Climate Task Force and brings together all interested parties to strengthen and empower subnational and local governments to play a key role in the climate change and sustainability agenda. UCLG Africa providing political advocacy and the voice of Local Africa which is backed by the technical support of ICLEI – Africa.

The collaboration between ICLEI Africa and UCLG Africa will come on the heels of a side event at the Climate Week, led by the UCLG Africa Climate Task Force, to facilitate an agreement between states and local authorities for the territorialisation of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

On Thursday, March 21, a session led by the Secretary General Jean-Pierre Elong Mbassi, will facilitate a roundtable discussion and a Davos style structured dialogue with Ministers and Mayors including the Hajia Alima Mahama, Minister for Local Government & Rural Development of Ghana, and Mr. Mohammed Adjei Sowah, Mayor of Accra.

At the forum, partners, CoM SSA and ICLEI Africa will illustrate how African Mayors can properly understand their roles and responsibilities in taking action on climate change issues, as well as how to access technical support for the development of climate actions at a local level.

“Such robust partnerships within countries and internationally also provides a mechanism for stakeholders to share experiences and data on climate change issues and action in Africa. This bold step to deepen the existing partnership between UCLG Africa and ICLEI Africa, in further support of local action to implement the NDCs, strongly resonates with the strategy and mandate of the Covenant of Mayors in sub-Saharan Africa that provides much needed access to practical support for cities across the continent,” says the UCLG Africa.

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