During a panel held on November 12, 2022, the Egypt COP27 Presidency launched the Climate Responses for Sustaining Peace (CRSP) initiative, which seeks to mobilize integrated climate responses that advance sustainable peace and development.
The panel included COP27 President H.E. Sameh Shoukry, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Economy of the African Union H.E. Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, United Nations (UN) Assistant Secretary General and Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Regional Bureau for Arab States Khalida Bouzar, and UN Special Adviser and Assistant Secretary-General on Climate Action & Just Transition, Selwin Hart.
Developed by the Cairo International Center for Conflict Resolution, Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding (CCCPA) with the support of UNDP, the initiative will contribute to the realization of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want, as well as the Africa’s Silencing the Guns initiative, and the African Climate Change and Resilient Development Strategy and Action Plan (2022-2032).
Speaking at the launch of the CRSP initiative, COP27 President H.E. Sameh Shoukry said: “Africa contributes the least to the climate crisis but is disproportionately affected in terms of how it unfolds and hurts communities. The devastating impact of climate change combined with conflict has far-reaching implications across the continent. CRSP will help deliver action on this critical issue as it addresses the potential risks posed by climate change for sustainable peace and development.”
CRSP seeks to strengthen Africa’s capacities and overcome existing gaps in collaboration with a broad range of partners and stakeholders, in line with national ownership and context specificity.
H.E. Josefa Leonel Correia Sacko, Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Economy of the African Union Commission said: “One cannot fault any of the four listed priorities with gender, youth and vulnerable communities – those bearing the brunt of climate change as cross cutting issues. I pledge the commitment of the African Union to partner with the Arab Republic of Egypt in the implementation of the noble program in the next five years and they can always count on us.”
The CRSP initiative is designed around four pillars:
- Strengthening the Climate Adaptation and Peacebuilding Nexus
- Sustaining Peace through Climate- Resilient Food Systems
- Advancing Durable Solutions to the Climate-Displacement Nexus
- Accelerating Climate Finance for Sustaining Peace
Offering her sincere congratulations to the Egypt COP Presidency on this groundbreaking and first-of-a-kind initiative in the history of the Conference of Parties, UNDP Assistant Secretary-General and Director of the Arab States, Khalida Bouzar noted that UNDP was honored to partner with CCCPA on CRSP, recognizing that climate action has co-benefits not only for development and the environment, but also for peace, stability, and security; and that in many fragile and conflict-affected contexts, adaptation, access to water and renewable energy are key entry points to build peace and ensure a resilient recovery.
Furthermore, the initiative will focus on four priorities for action that will:
- Build synergies across the climate, displacement, food and peacebuilding communities and connecting them through policy dialogues, network building and dedicated tools
- Close knowledge gaps through policy-oriented research and research-practice networks
- Accelerate tailored climate finance through concrete measures to meet the needs of peacebuilding contexts
- Strengthen African capacities – on the local, national and regional levels through targeted capacity- building
Across all action points, particular attention will be paid to integrating the needs of women, youth and communities.
“The CRSP initiative aims to contribute to closing this persistent financing gap, by mobilizing partnerships and measures that advance tailored climate finance that that also positively contributes to peacebuilding in Africa,” added H.E. Shoukry. “Let us seize the opportunity at this critical juncture to ensure our solutions to global challenges are integrated, so we can better meet the needs of those that are most vulnerable, and adversely impacted by today’s interconnected crises. Egypt is committed to building bridges at all levels that can help strengthen our collective responses,” he said.
CRSP marks the first time ever a COP presidency comes forward with an initiative at UNFCCC to tackle the interface between climate change and peace making. It is an important milestone that reflects Egypt’s commitment to strengthening multilateralism and international cooperation in a positive and inclusive manner.
The launch ceremony also witnessed the participation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium, the Minister of Peacebuilding of South Sudan, the Minister of International Development of Norway the Ministers of environment of Somalia, Mauritania, and Gabon, as well as the Minister of State of Ireland as well as the Chief Climate Negotiator of Sweden. High level officials from international, regional organizations as well as international, regional financial institutions included the Executive Director of UNEP, Inger Anderson among others.
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