REPORT OF THE PRE-COP28 CIVIL SOCIETY WORKSHOPS ON THE IMPERATIVE OF SUSTAINABLE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN CLIMATE CHANGE, ORGANIZED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE AFRIHEALTH OPTONET ASSOCIATION (AHOA) AND SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT IN NIGERIA (SOCSEEN); 20-24 NOVEMBER 2023

REPORT OF THE PRE-COP28 CIVIL SOCIETY WORKSHOPS ON THE IMPERATIVE OF SUSTAINABLE CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN CLIMATE CHANGE, ORGANIZED UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE AFRIHEALTH OPTONET ASSOCIATION (AHOA) AND SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT IN NIGERIA (SOCSEEN); 20-24 NOVEMBER 2023

INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND

Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA) is a global and community-focused CSOs Network and Think-tank of over 2,300 organizations in 106 countries across all the continents, for the promotion of Development Work, the SDGs, and Health - as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. AHOA uses partnership/collaboration, advocacy, communication, research/evidence-generation, capacity development, outreaches, monitoring and evaluation (M&E) as strategies; to benefit rural and poor urban dwellers, marginalized, vulnerable and disadvantaged populations of women, children, youth, adolescents, people with disability, orphans and elderly. During 2017-2018, it implemented the ‘Sustainable Citizen Participation in Nigeria’s Niger Delta’ Project funded by United Nations Democracy Fund; which addressed climate change, renewable energy, biodiversity, ecosystems, environment and other SDGs challenges across 81 communities/LGAs in Niger Delta - home to more than 30 million people.

The AHOA Network explores the nexus between Health – UHC, PHC, HIV/AIDS, TB, Malaria, NCDs, Vaccines and COVID-19; Energy and Environment - biodiversity, environment, ecosystems, renewable energy, energy efficiency, conservation and climate change; Nutrition/micronutrients and Food Security; Gender, Democracy, Good Governance and Human Rights. AHOA is in Consultative Status at UN ECOSOC, and an Accredited Observer status at the UNEP/UNEA.

 

The Society for Conservation and Sustainability of Energy and Environment in Nigeria (SOCSEEN) – a.k.a. Society for Environment and Energy (SEE) is a Climate, Energy, Environment nexus Association of multi-sectoral stakeholders with interests/involvements in Biodiversity, Environment, Ecosystems, Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency, Climate Change and Conservation (BEEREEECCC). Trained by Energy Commission of Nigeria on Renewable Energy, Energy Efficiency and Conservation (2011), it serves as Executive, Council for Renewable Energy Nigeria; Chairman, National TWG, Nigeria Platform for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services – co-organizers with UNESCO, of ‘Science Advice COVID-19: in the context of biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration’. It is an Alternate Focal Point/Member of the Steering Committee, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Alliance; Member of the Technical Committee on Draft Standards for Renewable Energy in Nigeria. SOCSEEN/AFRIHEALTH participated in the 2018 African Ministerial Conference on Environment, Nairobi, and meetings/activities of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services.

PARTICIPATION/ATTENDANCE:

A total of 265 persons representing Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Communities and Stakeholders from 58 countries in Climate Change and Biodiversity participated in the 5 days Workshop on Sustainable Citizen Participation (SCP) in the COP28 Dubai and Climate Control organized under the auspice of the Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA), and Society for Conservation and Sustainability of Energy and Environment in Nigeria (SOCSEEN)

The participants discussed the following:  

1.      Engaging with and promoting the voice of the populations most affected by the climate crises;

2.      Meaningful involvement of the civil society to strengthen and ensure effective climate actions at all levels;

3.      Resourcing local communities to promote their ability to transparently adapt to climate change and build resilience;

4.      Promoting climate and disaster risk-informed development interventions at all levels and all times, everywhere; and

5.      ‘Leave no one Behind’ in climate change decision-making processes at all levels everywhere

 

The participants observed that:

a.      The involvement of CSOs and local communities in Climate Change decision-making processes is essential. As national delegations proceed to UNFCCC’s COP28, we urge them to ensure that the views of their local constituencies are not only taken into account but acted upon and effectively represented in negotiations;

b.      Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) must be meaningfully included in all Climate negotiations, decision-making and implementation at all levels and work together to coordinate effective risk-informed policies and actions;

c.       Finance remains a critical enabler for accelerated climate actions, and must be made to reach local communities who themselves should be central to decision-making around how it is spent. It is essential to allocate sufficient resources towards enhancing the ability of communities to adapt to climate change and build resilience and to do so transparently;

d.      Investing in climate adaptation, mitigation and disaster reduction remains a desired ethical imperative and smart economic choice as the best way to invest in security and safety for all. The imperative of risk-informed development is also informed by the recent tragic collapse of the dams and loss of lives in Libya; and

e.       Meaningful inclusion across all decision-making levels on climate change involves taking a ‘whole-of-society’ approach and including those less visible, less heard, and most vulnerable and marginalized, so as to ‘Leave no one Behind’ in tackling the climate crisis.

 

The participants expressed their concerns that:

a.       CSOs at global and local levels have not being supported enough to provide/get be involved in Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation sensitization, trainings, workshops and seminars which are critical to ending the climate crises;

b.      There is an urgent need to stop cutting down trees for wood fuel, stop the environmentally destructive production of charcoal, and promote biomass as a source of fuel and clean, renewable energy;

c.       Industrialization should be promoted from the grassroots to enhance entrepreneurship, in addition to knowledge dissemination, economic support and skills development;

d.      The importance and roles of the civil society/NGOs as key players and models for Climate Control interventions are not being harnessed, as they have greater approachability and acceptance among the communities;

e.       Governments and Multilateral Agencies have not succeeded in community empowerment to enable the people to create strategies to tackle climate crises, e.g. creating waterways to accommodate flooding during the rains, thus mitigating the crisis; and

f.        Climate change is real and nobody is free from its devastating consequences. Unfortunately, many people are not aware of the dangers of climate change. To combat it we must involve everybody by first educating them on what climate change is and its effect and then enlightening communities on what each and everyone can do to mitigate and cope with climate change.

 

a.   The participants recommend/request:

a.       The involvement of local knowledge and practices are demonstrably more effective in producing and implementing adaptive national and global strategies than those that do not. We insist that climate negotiators and policymakers listen to and engage with those at the frontline while representing their views at COP28.

b.      The UNFCCC and the COP host countries should work together to put in place favourable and tangible conditions for the participation of CSOs in national delegations’ contributions to climate negotiations. AHOA is concerned by reports from our members that civil society badge allocation for in-person attendance at COP28 has decreased significantly compared to COP27.

c.      Virtual attendance is no substitute for in-person attendance, particularly for CSOs from the global south whose voices need to be heard and whose representatives need to engage with their peers in global policy spaces. Only through such engagement can we achieve meaningful and effective action on climate change adaptation at a global level.

d.     Governments should see and treat/relate with the civil society as critical partners in development, climate change adaptation, and impact mitigation, and the COPs;

e.      Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) must be encouraged by governments, businesses, and development partners to continue to play their critical roles of promoting partnerships/collaboration, advocacy and social mobilization, research and evidence-generation, capacity development and learning, outreaches and community engagement, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of climate control and COPs processes;

f.       There is an urgent need for government agencies to involve local CSOs and community actors in planning and implementing realistic and effective actions on climate change and the COPs processes, as they represent the people, know the conditions they face, and can proffer realistic and achievable solutions to the effects of climate change;

g.      The UNFCCC should support the implementation of the Climate Change resilience action in partnership with the civil society and communities, and as informed by changing national circumstances, local communities, women, youth, elderly, elderly, physically disabled as well as with Indigenous peoples;

h.      It is imperative that national planning and international development policymakers reinforce existing critical infrastructure, plan for the future, and support resilient infrastructure and industries that future-proof our lives, livelihoods, societies, and economies; and

i.        All climate change and COPs stakeholders should create and enhance spaces to meaningfully participate in decision-making processes for women, youth, elderly, Indigenous Peoples, persons living with disabilities, migrant and displaced populations, and other often marginalized communities.

 

The participants resolved to/call for:

1.      Advocating for a more inclusive and collaborative approach, overcoming political resistance to civil society involvement to continue advocacy on climate action and health nexus;

2.      Increased Representation of the civil society and communities through diverse representation from various sectors, including indigenous peoples, women, youth, and marginalized communities, as the lack of representation hinders effective participation;

3.      Increasing access to climate change and COP information, improving transparency by providing accessible and understandable information to civil society, using information, communication and technology, and effective multilingual communication, especially regarding the host countries for the COPs;

4.      Increasing investments in capacity-building programmes to enhance the understanding of climate change issues and negotiation processes among civil society organizations and communities;

5.      Creating and Supporting inclusive platforms for civil society and community representatives such as AHOA, to actively participate in discussions and decision-making processes around the COPs and climate crises; and

6.      Call for the creation and sustainable funding of climate disaster risk funds at all levels to be devoted to unforeseen issues brought about by the prevailing climate crises.

 

APPRECIATION:

The participants expressed support and appreciation for the leadership roles played by the Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA) and Society for Conservation and Sustainability of Energy and Environment in Nigeria (SOCSEEN) to ensure the meaningful involvement of the Civil Society and Communities in the ongoing global and local efforts to end the climate crises through adaptation and impact mitigation, and use of the UNFCCC COPs as one of the approaches to realize them. The global Civil Society reaffirms its commitment and support for these processes.

Signed:

Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje

CEO, AHOA; and President, SOCSEEN

27 November 2023