COP 21 : African MPs to speak with one voice

The Executive President of the Pan-African Parliamentarians’ Network on Climate Change, Hon. Awudu Mbaya Cyprian gave a press conference on November 28, 2015 in Yaounde.

During the ongoing United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) holding in French capital Paris, the delegation of members from several parliaments and inter-parliamentary networks in Africa will speak with one voice in pressing forward for developed countries to, in a transparent, measurable and verifiable manner, contribute at least 1.5 per cent of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to the Green Climate Fund to support efforts by developing countries to adapt to the impact of Climate Change.

The Executive President of the Pan-African Parliamentarians’ Network on Climate Change (PAPNCC), Hon. Awudu Mbaya Cyprian, told pressmen on November 28, 2015 in Yaounde that the common stand was one of the resolutions taken recently during a confab of African MPs involved in Climate Change issues in Nairobi, Kenya, as part of preparations for the UNCCC’s 21st Conference of Parties (COP 21) summit holding in Paris. The much-expected Paris UN Framework Convention on Climate Change will aim at reaching a Global Agreement that will replace the Kyoto Protocol.

Hon. Mbaya said the common stand by African MPs for climate justice and equity in the new world agreement on Climate Change is prompted by the fact that Africa makes insignificant contribution to global warming, yet the continent bears the brunt of the negative impacts with 75 per cent of the 350,000 people who die yearly from Climate Change-related diseases coming from Africa. PAPNCC is an international network set up by a group of Parliamentarians from about 38 African countries to effectively fight against Climate Change.