AMNESTY International has issued a plea to African leaders, urging them to make human rights and climate justice a top priority at the upcoming Conference of the Parties (COP28) summit in Dubai. The rights group, through its East and Southern Africa office, emphasises the importance of ensuring that the Loss and Damage Fund effectively addresses the protection of human rights.
In a statement, Tigere Chagutah, Amnesty International’s regional director for East and Southern Africa, called on African leaders attending COP28 to focus on protecting human rights within the framework of the Loss and Damage Fund. Chagutah expressed concern over the burden of reducing greenhouse gas emissions being shifted to African countries, despite the primary responsibility lying with developed nations.
Referring to the Nairobi Declaration, which emerged from the Inaugural Africa Climate Summit held in Nairobi on September 4-6, Chagutah noted that while the declaration unified Africa’s stance on climate challenges, certain proposals did not effectively combat emissions causing climate change or provide sufficient support for those adversely affected.
Amnesty International raised alarms over the emphasis on carbon trading, stating that it unfairly places a substantial responsibility on African nations. The rights group insisted that leaders advocate for a fair distribution of the burden and work towards holding developed countries accountable for their contributions to the climate crisis.
Samira Daoud, Amnesty International’s regional director for West and Central Africa, emphasized the impact of climate change on human rights violations in Africa. Despite this, Daoud expressed disappointment that the Nairobi Declaration did not firmly anchor human rights principles to address and protect against the changing climate.
The statement highlighted the importance of financial support, urging African leaders to push for grants rather than loans to alleviate the continent’s debt burden and facilitate a more effective response to the climate crisis.
Amnesty International cautioned against repeating the perceived mistakes of the Africa Climate Summit, emphasizing that the Nairobi Declaration fell short in prioritising human rights and climate justice. The rights group urged leaders to learn from past experiences and ensure that COP28 results in concrete actions that safeguard both human rights and the environment.
The 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) is scheduled to take place in Dubai from November 30 to December 12.