Cotonou Declaration climate action: How Africa is finally putting power back in local hands
By: Abudu Olalekan
For years, the decisions on how best to tackle the climate crisis in Africa have occurred in exclusive rooms in Geneva, New York, or London. The voices of those most affected by the environmental problems were rarely heard.
This is set to change.
According to a report sent to Reportersroom on Thursday, at a meeting in Benin, a large alliance of governments, activists, and ordinary people adopted a declaration that will reverse the trend and ensure ordinary people play a bigger role in climate action, humanitarian assistance, energy, and other issues affecting the continent. Indeed, according to the report, the meeting’s outcome represents a commitment to a paradigm shift in development cooperation.
The Global Localisation Forum convened in Benin’s capital on Thursday in a meeting that saw youth groups, Indigenous representatives, researchers, women’s networks, and faith-based groups – in addition to governments and donors – in one room, discussing Africa’s future.
Organisers Connected Advocacy, the Charter4Change Advocacy Working Group, and the Climate and Environment Working Group had chosen Benin for its leadership on the African continent.
Why localisation is key
The participants at the forum identified several key challenges to mainstream donor approaches to localisation, arguing that the continent’s development agenda requires an integrated approach to climate change, food and nutrition security, and energy access and use.
Through the Cotonou declaration, which the participants adopted on Thursday, they call for an end to the marginalisation of local organisations and a more meaningful role for women and youth in decision-making processes.
Localisation is also about sharing power, building trust, and promoting ownership of development processes and policies.
“African leaders do not always fully understand the role that localisation plays in supporting more effective, efficient, and accountable development,” said forum secretariat. “Localisation is about getting the right people on the ground with the necessary mandate, removing barriers to their work, and enhancing their voice and influence.”
The statement added that the continent’s local organisations had extensive knowledge and technical capacity to contribute to achieving the Agenda 2063 and sustainable development goals.
“Local actors such as farmers in Senegal or community development facilitators in Uganda know their environment better than any Paris-based expert,” said one delegate.
The meeting was also an opportunity for delegates to share experiences and knowledge.
Forum president Prince Israel Orekha said the participants were committed to generating policies and frameworks that would promote results.
Dr. Limam Boussif of Morocco called for mobilising resources for sustainable energy and development and shared his expertise on the matter.
Onzima Dankan of the South Sudanese Refugees Association in Uganda spoke about the many restrictions that local organisations encounter in accessing funding.
“Donors impose too many constraints, and local, nimble, and effective organisations are often excluded. We need innovative financing mechanisms and greater trust in local organisations and their ability to take on responsibility,” said Dankan.
Salma El Ferini of Morocco spoke about women and youth engagement, pointing out their leadership potential on the continent in responding to the continent’s challenges, including its environmental ones.
“The ancestral knowledge is part of the traditional values that have long been used to protect and conserve nature,” she said.
Other speakers included Prof. Richard Adjaye of Ghana and Rokhaya Sane of Senegal, who presented their respective country’s successful strategies and lessons learned in promoting localisation and community-based organisations.
How will this declaration move forward?
The Cotonou declaration will only be as good as the actions taken to make it happen. To this end, delegates agreed on a framework for peer-to-peer accountability that includes an Annual Africa Localisation Dialogue, a Continental Community of Practice, and a Localisation Policy Monitoring and Evaluation platform.
Now it’s up to African governments and donors to make it happen.
Olalekan A. Abudu is a seasoned and dedicated News Journalist at REPORTERS ROOM, with over eight years of experience. He specializes in politics, climate change, health, and education, while also covering security, economic, and judicial issues. Committed to accuracy and balanced reporting, Olalekan exemplifies the principles of public-interest journalism.
