The United Nations Resident Coordinator, Mr. Charles Abani's message delivered at the Africa Women and Children Conference (AfriWOCC) 2023 in Accra

It is with profound gratitude and immense enthusiasm that I stand before you today at the maiden edition of the Africa Women and Children Conference (AFRIWOCC). This gathering marks a pivotal moment in our shared journey towards empowerment, equity, and sustainable development across the African continent. I would like to start by commending Her Excellency, Samira Bawumia, for her visionary leadership and commitment to addressing persisting challenges of our time.

Every single one of us here acknowledges the significance of this conference and the urgent need to amplify the voices that have too often been marginalized and underserved. And we welcome the bold communique and your leadership, joining with other African women and men, to work intentionally to ensure that this is addressed. The dedication and commitment we have brought in this room inspire hope and fortify our collective resolve to address the climate change challenges faced by women and children in Africa.

The climate crisis

The increasing climate shocks experienced across the world – particularly in Africa – means the time to scale up climate action is now! Efforts to counter the triple planetary crisis of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste must be ramped up to truly transform societies and economies for everyone, everywhere. And must include the voices and priorities of women.

Indeed, climate change knows no boundaries, spares no nation, community, or demographic. If the world fails to step up climate action, continuing on our current climate trajectory could force 100 million people into extreme poverty by 2030.[1] Let us remember the climate the climate clock that keeps ticking every minute.

And we have another opportunity – to ensure our responses are truly holistic – carefully knitting together the important elements of the peace-security-development-humanitarian nexus into an operationalizable set of actions, while recognizing the important and central role that women play in this and ensuring that we are securing the future for our children.

Call to Action

Your Excellency, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

A lot has been said in the past 48 hours of this very important conference.  The discourse points to the critical role women play in sustainable development and climate resilience. Women, as equal participants in society as well as caretakers of families and stewards of communities, possess invaluable knowledge and insights into adaptation strategies. Women are the custodians of much of our indigenous knowledge – this is critical not only in shaping our collective understanding of the problem but co-creating the solutions, sufficiently engendering them and, in the true spirit of what the 2nd Lady is catalyzing through these conversations, EMPOWERING women to play an active role.

Likewise, the potential and dreams of young people hold the keys to a future that we must safeguard with unwavering dedication – and not do so ‘in the future’ – but NOW. In September, the world will gather for the SDG Summit. The Secretary General has stated unequivocally that we have a crisis. We need to respond to that crisis now. As the inheritors of our planet, children and young people carry a unique perspective that should be harnessed to inspire intergenerational action and again, empower the to lead.

As the South Africa Minister stated so eloquently, we cannot afford to overlook and “mute’’ these voices any longer. It is time to listen, learn, and lead together. It is time to engage women and children as active participants, decision-makers, and drivers of change in our climate initiatives. It is time to foster an environment where their rights, aspirations, and concerns are not just acknowledged, but championed and taken on board through action. I have no doubt that this is the cause of our Second Lady, and we back it to the hilt.

If we are to chart the course for a greener and more equitable future, we must:

1. First, Set the inclusivity agenda higher.

We must prioritize inclusivity and equal representation in all aspects of climate negotiations and policymaking. This means creating the platforms and empowering women, youth and children to participate at every level – from local communities to the continental and international level. Let their experiences, needs, and aspirations guide our strategies, ensuring they are not merely mute beneficiaries, but active participants and partners in our collective efforts. In short, governance and decision-making at all levels must involve women and youth, and must prioritize the well-being of children, the focus of this conference.

2. Secondly, remove the barriers that prevent this from happening – one at a time, intentionally and with urgency and determination. Let us work to remove the barriers that prevent developing economies from accessing finance and resources. This requires a shift from current international financial architecture to a more functional system that will bring justice to the system as well as enable the mobilization of private investment at scale. Women need greater access to sustainable and gender-equitable green finance to help them become frontrunners in global efforts to address climate change and benefit from climate adaptation and resilience opportunities. We must create the right finance and resource environment to make the economies thrive for all. And finance must reach women-led initiatives and actions.

      3. Similarly, we must Advance high-level advocacy to enhance understanding.

Let us provide the resources needed to implement gender-responsive climate policies. This entails directing funding, technology, and capacity-building initiatives towards projects that uplift women and children, acknowledging their potential to drive transformative solutions and co-created by them (rather than ‘for them’).

Invest in education, raise awareness and advocate for targeted climate action, safeguarding women and children. Additionally, we must focus attention on achieving greater levels of Youth Empowerment for the teeming youth population and provide opportunities for meaningful youth engagement with decision-making bodies – given that young people deserve to have ownership of their future. By equipping them with the knowledge and tools to understand climate change in their language, we empower them to become ambassadors of change within their families and communities. Education is the foundation upon which resilient societies are built.

And invest in projects and programmes (from community level climate-resilience initiatives to the most complex spaces of conversations on loss and damage and carbon markets) that show what can be done and achieved – especially for addressing livelihoods, access to fair jobs, and improving services and engaging on peace and security. If we are to make the gains from adaptation funds and calculations of ‘loss and damage’ count, then those who have most at stake should drive how those resources are spent. And Women must be at the centre. If 80% of those displaced by climate-related disasters and changes around the world are women and girls, then we must have a gender lens in climate action to ensure their full and equal participation in decision-making in the field.[2] 

4. Making data available and accessible

Let us invest in gender-disaggregated data and evidence databases to guarantee the full and accurate capture of what is required to deliver the change that will address the the complex and intersecting vulnerabilities which women and children face. We cannot do this without their voices.

5. Urban planning must be gender friendly

Let us collectively reimagine urban environments, transport and mobility. Promote sustainable, healthy urban design and transport systems, with improved land-use, access to green and blue public space, while creating energy systems that protect and improve climate and health particularly for women. Let us guide a just and inclusive transition to renewable energy to save lives. African governments need to support reform in the various sectors. This strategy could open African institutions and markets to emerging opportunities in the renewable sector.

6. Ensure Accountability: Set targets and be intentional

Ensure that national policies and programmes on climate change and the environment address the demands, needs and vulnerabilities of women and youth, and recognise their readiness to respond to climate change and environmental disasters.

7. Lastly, Nurture this platform for strengthened partnership – The UN Deputy Secretary-General, Ms Amina Mohammed said we should leverage this important conference to foster, accelerate and scale up beneficial partnerships and collaboration. As climate action stakeholders and partners of this conference, we have the opportunity to create a platform that will unite us around initiatives that reduce the impacts of the climate crisis on African women and children and create opportunities for them in the transition to renewable energy and climate resilience.

Madam 2nd Lady, we count on your voice to amplify these yearnings.

Your Excellency, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Africa holds immense opportunity for private investors, especially a growing class of African investors. It has a young, growing population with abundant natural resources. But significant injection of capital in investment and technological innovation are necessary to unlock the region’s full potential particularly to advance climate action. Despite being profiled as high-risk destination by investors and the global financial system, new waves of investment opportunities are emerging (Africa Investment Report, 2021). We need to form the right partnerships and tap into the new investment opportunity to promote climate action. Justice is at the core of unleashing opportunity.

Conclusion

I have followed deliberations over the last two days, and I can see the potential to influence political discourse particularly as AFRIWOCC looks to present its position at the Africa Climate Summit and COP28 and seek to advocate the implementation of high impact initiatives that can unlock transformative change across Africa. I encourage you to be a strategic partner, leverage your resources, expertise and experiences to identify solutions.

I call upon each and every one of you to not only embrace this call to action, but more importantly act on them. Let us be the change-makers who amplify the voices of women and children in climate action. Together, we can forge a path towards a planet that is not only ecologically resilient but also socially just and economically viable for all. The voices of women and children, as we have heard during this two-day conference echo the urgency of our climate crisis.  Their voices seek solutions that are both innovative and inclusive. The longer we wait on any of these crucial issues, the harder it will become. BAU will not suffice.

Let me thank the multitude of UN agencies, development partners and other supporters for your enthusiastic support. It is deeply appreciated.

Finally, a word on AFRIWOCC. Your Excellency, once you shared your vision, it’s strategic value was instantly obvious. Place African women at the center and things will move. This is as simple as it is inspirational. Equally, you have chosen to bite the bullet on one of the more intractable issues – climate change. This not only shows vision, it demonstrates courage. As we thank all the inspiring women (and men and children) who have contributed to the success of this event and the dialogue it will catalyze, I join them with a charge to you to dig deeper – this is but the beginning of a long and selfless journey. I am personally convinced and have no doubt you will. We applaud you and encourage you on this important leadership journey. The UN stands with you.

Let us seize this opportunity to create a world where women and children stand side-by-side with all of us, shaping a sustainable future that leaves no one behind.

Thank you.

[1] Africa can play a leading role in the fight against climate change | Brookings

[2] How to advance gender equality in climate change response | UNESCO