Symposium on Climate Change, Pan Africanism and African Renaissance calls for a united Africa in order to tackle Climate Change

Addis Ababa- Ethiopia, August 16, 2013– The Symposium on Climate Change, Pan Africanism and African Renaissance, held today at the African Union Commission (AUC) as part of the year-long celebrations commemorating the 50th anniversary of the OAU/AU.

The AUC’s Department for Rural Economy and Agriculture (DREA) organized the symposium with the objective of generating a continental debate on the implications of Climate Change (CC), for Africa’s Sustainable development and the prospects for an African Renaissance.

The symposium also drew attention to the link between climate change and gender issues, especially its impacts on the advancement of women and youths, who continue to bear the brunt of the problems occasioned by climate change and climate variability.
Officially opening the symposium, DREA Commissioner, H.E Tumusiime Rhoda Peace, represented by AUC Commissioner for Trade and Industry, H.E Fatima Haram Acyl, stressed the Commission’s determination towards addressing the challenges posed by climate change, by seizing the opportunities offered by the renewed sense of optimism generated by Pan Africanism and African Renaissance.

She noted that that climate change and climate variability remained the biggest obstacles to Africa’s development as African economies are predominantly dependent on climate sensitive sectors like agriculture, exposing the continent to food insecurity, poverty and under development.

“However,the current status of knowledge on climate change and the level of technical expertise in Africa and in the African Diaspora provide ample optimism for the continent to build, and consolidate its resilience to climate change,“Mrs.Tumusiime said. “Building on the spirit of Pan Africanism would go a long way in addressing the capacity gap as it would enable Africans to share experiences and resources to effectively adapt to climate change,” she added. (The full speech of the commissioner is available on www.au.int).

Delivering the key note presentation, Advisor to the Minister of Environmental Protection and Forests, of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, Dr.Tewolde-BerhanGebre-Egziabher, called on Africa to stand united in order to fight Climate Change.

“We must maximise our strength, we must unite Africa in a single and economic unit that can fight Climate Change,” he said.

Dr.Tewolde-Berhanfurther called on African States to double productivity by enforcing gender equality across all sectors noting that gender inequality, doubles the vulnerability to the effects of Climate Change. (The complete speech is available on www.au.int).

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