STATEMENT BY H.E. TUMUSIIME, RHODA PEACE COMMISSIONER FOR RURAL ECONOMYAND AGRICULTURE
AFRICAN UNION COMMISSION

ON THE OCCASION OF THE AFRICA DAY SIDE EVENT

AT THE TWENTIETH CONFERENCE OF THE PARTIES TO THE
UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON
CLIMATE CHANGE AND TENTH MEETING OF THE
PARTIES SERVING AS THE CONFERENCE OF
THE PARTIES TO ITS KYOTO PROTOCOL
(COP20/CMP10)

THEME: AFRICA IN A POST-2015 NEW CLIMATE CHANGE AGREEMENT

VENUE: SIDE EVENT ROOM PARACAS, ZONE G3

DATE: WEDNESDAY, 10TH DECEMBER, 2014

Your Excellency, Dr. Mohamed Gharib Bilal, Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania and Representative of the Coordinator of the Committee of the African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC)
Honourable Dr. Binilith S. Mahenge (MP), Minister of State, Vice President’s Office – Environment, United Republic of Tanzania and AMCEN President,
Representative of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania representing the country currently serving as the Chairperson of the African Union
Honourable Ministers,
Representative of the President of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Mr. Alex Rugamba, Director, Energy, Environment and Climate Change Department & Chair, Climate Change Coordination Committee,
Representative of the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Dr. Fatima Denton, Director of Special Initiatives, UN Economic Commission for Africa
Members of the African Parliaments and Diplomatic Corps here present
Members of the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN)
Representatives of Regional Economic Communities (RECs) (EAC, ECCAS, ECOWAS, COMESA, SADC, IGAD, CENSAD, UMA here present
Representatives of the African Regional Institutions – AUC and the NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency, African Development Bank, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa / African Climate Policy Centre, other regional institutions and the African Academia here present,
Distinguished Delegates,
Representatives of Development Partners, international organization, United Nations Agencies and the Civil Society Group
Representatives of Women and Youth Organizations
Members of the Press, Distinguished Participants, Invited Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

This statement is on behalf of H.E. Mrs. Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture of the African Union Commission, who would have liked to be here in Lima for COP 20/CMP 10 but due to exigencies of duty, she is unfortunately not able to join us today. H.E Mrs. Tumusiime has requested that I express her deep regrets for not being able to join us at this Side Event and has delegated me to represent her and I now read the statement on H.E’s behalf.

Let me start by conveying the warm greetings of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini– Zuma to this Africa Day Side Event at COP 20/CMP 10. I am delighted that the theme of the 2014 Africa Day Side Event at the Twentieth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Tenth Meeting of the Parties serving as the Conference of the Parties to its Kyoto Protocol, (COP 20/CMP 10) taking place in Lima is on: ‘Africa in a Post 2015 New Climate Change Agreement’. The stage is set, as this is very timely and affords the African continent an opportunity to strategize to prepare for Paris.

I believe that the negotiations for a comprehensive deal on climate change next year in Paris have reached a critical stage and it is therefore imperative that we intensify our efforts for the much-awaited New Climate Change Agreement to be realized in 2015 to salvage our Planet from disasters, provide means of implementation and adaptation in the most vulnerable continent. The New Climate Change Agreement should also incorporate the aspirations of Africa including responses targeting women and youth.

Excellences, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Africa Day side event has become an institutionalized activity for Africa at the UNFCCC Conferences of the Parties, to bring to the attention of the global community the urgency of actions needed to address the challenges posed by climate change in Developing Countries, and in particular in Africa bearing in mind that our continent is the least contributor to Green House Gas emissions.

We are delighted with the way and manner in which the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) has been working vigorously in the global climate change negotiations. Permit me, to also use this medium to recognize the work of the African Ministerial Conference of Environment (AMCEN) under the leadership of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC). We also recognize the hard work of all our Parliamentarians, Researchers, civil society group including women and youth along with our Development Partners and Regional institutions and Ministerial bodies such as the African Ministers’ Council Water and the African Ministerial Conference on Meteorology to mention a few, for their collaborative efforts in ensuring that Africa is resilient to the menace of climate change.

Your Excellences we are proud to mention that over the years, the three Pan African Institutions namely; African Union Commission, the UN Economic Commission for Africa / African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have built a very strong partnership and continued to enhance Africa’s visibility that has allowed the Continent to speak with one voice in the international climate change arena. Allow me, Your Excellences to go down the memory lane that this partnership helped in the commencement of the African Pavilion in 2011 in Durban, South African and has further committed to continue to support the African Group of Negotiators for Climate Change along with the AMCEN Secretariat, the United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Africa (ROA) as with move toward 2015, the Year of the expected delivery of the New Climate Change Agreement in Paris.

Your Excellences, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, let me conclude by thanking you all for honoring our invitation to the Africa Day Side Event being commemorated today. Finally, I wish to mention that we are humbled by the presence of Your Excellency, Mr. Vice President for gracing this occasion despite your tight schedules, which is indeed a clear manifestation of your personal interest and commitment; and that of your country to issues of environment and climate change. I also extend our thanks to the Panelists, whom I have no doubt will leave no stone unturned on the theme of this side event that would contribute to sustainable development in our dear continent in the spirit of the African Agenda 2063.

I wish you all active participation, Happy African Day and I thank you all for your kind attention.

Asante sana and Muchias Gracias!