
Bonn, 13 June, 2024
The Bonn Climate Change Conference concluded today after two weeks of intensive work across a range of issues where progress was needed on the path to the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in November 2024 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
AfricaNewsAnalysis’ Sandra Prufer met with and had an exclusive interview with Sena Alouka, a delegate from the Republic of Togo at the Bonn Climate Change Conference.
Excerpts:
Sandra /AfricaNewsAnalysis: Sena, looking at your attendance here for 10 days climate negotiations in Bonn and this is the last day and nearing last plenary session. So far, I think not so much progress has been made, but you are also here as party delegate from Togo and you looked specifically to the agriculture sector. Can you tell me a little bit what happened here in the last days and what is the expected outcome?
Sena Alouka: Yeah. Thank you. Well the agricultural negotiations finally end up with the text, that agree on countries to continue the conversations on agriculture. We are negotiating about ways to use agriculture as a sector to enhance adaptation and at the same time support communities climate resilience building processes. And, so how can agriculture help Communities to improved their adaptive capacity? So that’s all this decision, and in Sharm el Sheikh, we had what we call the Sharm el Sheikh Joint Work Action on Implementation of the Climate Action in Agriculture and Food Security. So it’s In that context that we are negotiating so finally what do we get at the column at the SBC here we got that countries will meet in the future to discuss about how to coordinate implementation of action because coordination will help to move from talks to concrete action on the ground.
Sandra/AfricaNewsAnalysis: Looking ahead on the road to the next COP in Azerbaijan, what are you planning on the ground?
Sena Alouka: So we have a three pillar activities. First one is how do we support our countries to make submissions? There are a few negotiation tracks like agriculture, lost and damage, in which our countries need to submit their views on various issues like for instance in agricultural countries like Togo, Ghana, Lesotho need to submit what they think are critical for farmers in Africa. So, we are going to support countries to do that. Secondly is about NDC review our countries are starting to review their NDC, NDC stand for Nationally Determined Contributions just like commitment by countries to reduce their climate emissions or greenhouse gas emissions. So as our countries like Ghana, Togo, or Chad, start this process, we will be supporting them. Third one is about building strong African society movement. So we are organising a huge caravan, we organised the past two years, this year would be taking place in 35 countries and yes, the idea is to bring voices from the ground, from communities living on the frontline of climate change to decision makers. So the rally will be doing council with dancing will be chanting will be going into the forest to people living near the Islands, people on the mountains to listen to them. How are they adapting to climate change, how things are changing how they think should be discussed What do they need to improving their climate adaptation. So these are things that we are planning to do in the future.
Sandra/AfricaNewsAnalysis: Excellent so on this caravan this will be also then be documented and then presentation in Baku to delegates there so that their voices are heard?
Sena Alouka: Yes, so the idea is to bring voices from the ground voices from communities. If I think the case of Ghana, how can a farmer in Tamale, how can farmer in other parts of the country send a clear message to both the municipality, the mayor, the Minister for Agriculture and Environment, then to the President of Ghana and to the African nations and finally to the negotiators will be gathering in Baku. So the idea is how do we amplify voices from people living on the other frontline, what they think should be done and but also interestingly, what are some of the best practises they’ll be using to adapt to the changing Climate? So we want people in Baku to listen to those voices and that would help to influence decision making. So voices from the ground to Baku.
Sandra/AfricaNewsAnalysis: Excellent, thank you so much.