During COP29, UNOWAS, in collaboration with its partners, organized two important meetings to raise awareness and mobilize public and private actors on the impact of climate change on peace and security in West Africa and the Sahel.
DAKAR, Senegal, November 21, 2024 -/African Media Agency (AMA)/- The Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Barrie Freeman, carried out from 14 on November 18, 2024, a working mission to Baku, Azerbaijan, to participate in COP29.
On Monday, November 18, Ms. Freeman chaired a session on “Water security and diplomacy in West Africa and the Sahel”. Organized by UNOWAS in collaboration with the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Union (AU), the meeting highlighted the importance of promoting peace and development through water diplomacy. “UNOWAS will continue to work with its partners to ensure that access to water is integrated into conflict prevention strategies to strengthen peace and prosperity in the sub-region,” Ms. Freeman said in her statement. opening speech.
The meeting recommended strengthening collaboration among partners, adopting a Declaration on Water, Peace and Development, and organizing a second regional conference on climate change, peace and development to follow up on the one held in Dakar in April 2022.
Ms. Freeman also chaired a working meeting on November 14 on “Strengthening climate resilience and peace in West and Central Africa », organized by UNOWAS in collaboration with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the United Nations Office for Africa (UNOCA), the Norwegian Refugee Council (NORCAP), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and GreenAid.
Participants discussed strategies that integrate climate resilience into peacebuilding, resource management and population security frameworks. “It is important to strengthen information sharing mechanisms and develop policies based on data and evidence to further inform the development of adaptation strategies in the face of the harmful effects of climate change,” she said. declared.
Ms. Freeman also had bilateral meetings with representatives of the West African Development Bank (BOAD) and the Director of NORCAP/NRC. The discussions focused on the importance of strengthening collaboration to develop cross-border initiatives in order to respond to the challenges posed by Climate Change, particularly on Peace and Security.
Distributed by African Media Agency (AMA) for UNOWAS.
Source : African Media Agency (AMA)
2024-11-21 09:25:00
#COP29 #Baku #Deputy #Special #Representative #Barrie #Freeman #calls #West #African #actors #mobilize #combat #impact #climate #change #peace #security #subregion #
