African Union (Addis Ababa)

Africa: Opening Statement to Conference on Climate Change

Jean Ping

25 August 2009


document

Addis Ababa — Opening statement by Dr. Jean Ping, chairperson of the African Union Commission, to a meeting of the representatives of the Conference of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) and African lead experts on climate change.

I am pleased to welcome you all to the African Union Headquarters to participate in this important and historic meeting.

The issue of climate change that we have come to discuss here today is of significant importance to the African Continent. Scientific projections unequivocally indicate that Africa will be hit hardest by the impacts of climate change as compared to other continents. Among other impacts, climate change will fundamentally affect agricultural productivity, increase the prevalence of diseases and poverty, increase water stress and trigger off conflicts and war. Africa's development aspirations are at stake unless urgent steps are taken to address the problem of climate change.

It goes without saying that although Africa is least responsible for global warming, it is however suffering from the impacts of climate change. Therefore, Africa suffers most from the problem that it has not created!

The climate change challenge before us is enormous. However, Africa has faced even greater challenges in the past and I am confident that we shall prevail over this present challenge.

Given that Africa is already suffering from the severe effects of climate change, we all must urgently seek solutions. Fortunately, the international community is already engaged in a protracted process that will hopefully lead to an ambitious and effective international agreement to combat climate change at Copenhagen, Denmark in December this year. This is the time for Africa to aggressively engage in this process to ensure that Africa's concerns in this new international climate change agreement are effectively addressed.

Due to the great importance that the African Union attaches to the issue of climate change, the Heads of State and Government have recently taken important decisions on climate change.

Your Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, permit me at this stage to mention the important decisions on climate change that the African Union has taken in the recent past:

1.    The 12th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government in February 2009, held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia adopted a historic decision on climate change the key elements of which include:

a)    That the global carbon trading mechanisms that are expected to emerge from international negotiations on climate change should give Africa an opportunity to demand and get compensation for the damage to its economy caused by global warming and underlines in this regard the fact that despite contributing virtually nothing to global warming Africa has been one of the primary victims of its consequences.

b)    That Africa needs to be represented by one delegation, which is empowered to negotiate on behalf of all Member States, with the mandate to ensure that resource flow to Africa is not reduced. The AU Commission was mandated to work out modalities of such representation.

2.    The 13th Ordinary Session of African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government held in Sirte, Libya in July, 2009 took another important and historic decision and established the Conference of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) comprising of the following:

•    The Chairperson of the African Union;
•    The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia;
•    The Republic of Algeria;
•    The Republic of Congo;
•    The Republic of Kenya;
•    The Republic of Mauritius;
•    The Republic of Mozambique;
•    The Republic of Nigeria;
•    The Republic of Uganda;
•    The Chairperson of the African Ministerial Conference on Environment;
•    The Chairperson of the African Union Commission; and
•    Technical Negotiators on climate change from Member states.

Another key element of the 13th Ordinary Session of African Union Assembly of Heads of State and Government held in Sirte, Libya in July, 2009 is that the Assembly mandated CAHOSCC, all AU Ambassadors and African negotiators from member States attending the negotiation process towards the 15th Conference of Parties (COP 15) to make use of the approved African common position on climate change.

Your Excellencies, Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen, you will all agree with me that the decisions that I have just mentioned signify a fundamental shift in the collective policy and practice of African States towards international negotiations on climate change.

First and foremost, the decisions articulate a key political message that should inform the content of Africa's common position on key climate change agenda items that are under negotiation.

Secondly, Africa will henceforth be represented by one delegation at international meetings on climate change. The Conference of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) will spearhead Africa's negotiations on climate change.
I now wish to take this opportunity to thank all our technical experts on climate change from all across Africa for the achievements they have registered in their endeavours over the course of years. I believe that CAHOSCC will build from these very achievements to move the process forward to ensure that our work proceeds in a coordinated and consistent manner.

It is the expectation of the AU Commission that this meeting will produce the first-ever AU-Summit sanctioned key political messages on climate change from Africa, which will be widely distributed in the continent and throughout the World. This output will be informed by various political processes on climate change taking place in the continent. Secondly, there will be a close alignment of technical positions being negotiated by the African Group with the political messages from the continent, especially from the CAHOSCC.

Te outcome of this meeting will inform the deliberations of the CAHOSCC meeting being planned on the sidelines of the Special Summit in Tripoli, Libya on the 31st August 2009. Hence your deliberations this afternoon is very important. I am sure that CAHOSCC will appreciate the quality of the report that you will present to it.

At this juncture, I take this opportunity to declare the Meeting of the Representatives of the Conference of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) and the African Experts on climate change open so that we can turn our attention to important issues on our agenda.

I thank you and wish you happy and fruitful deliberations!

Read comments. Write your own.

Africa Unites Over Climate Change

More News on allAfrica.com

Copyright © 2009 African Union. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.

AllAfrica - All the Time
Author: upliftdarace_144
Wed Aug 26 23:52:10 2009

This Global Warming Stuff Is A Complete Hoax . Man has so arrogantly told

God, by inference, that God the Creator didn’t Create things quite right. The United

Nations is just another attempt by Satan to build another Tower of Babel .

If you want to know some real truth tune in to Alex Jones’ Infowars broadcast.

You can listen 24 hours a day. It’s live for 4 hours and on continuous re-broadcast for the

other 20 hours. Here’s a link to articles on the Hoax of Global Warming.

[http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/nbbw.cgi]

What is this hype of Global warming for ? It’s designed to give these phony

scientists ( who actually act like they were taking part in the Creation itself ) and the

organizations they represent control of the world’s natural resources. The GEORGIA

GUIDESTONES is consistent with United Nations goals for the world.

Here is a synopsis of the GEORGIA GUIDESTONES :

[The Agenda Of The Antichrist aka The Georgia Guidestones (GG) ]

10 POINTS LIKE THE 10 HORNS OR RELIGIONS OF THE BEAST

[Revelations 13:1]

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having 7

heads (Kings) and 10 HORNS (Religious Kingdoms), and upon his horns ten crowns, and

upon his heads the name of blasphemy

THE GEORGIA GUIDESTONES

1) MAINTAIN HUMANITY'S POPULATION UNDER 500 MILLION IN

PERPETUAL BALANCE WITH NATURE

2) GUIDE REPRODUCTION WISELY —IMPROVING FITNESS AND DIVERSITY

3) UNITE HUMANITY WITH A LIVING NEW LANGUAGE

4) RULE PASSION — FAITH — TRADITION AND ALL THINGS WITH

TEMPERED REASON

5) PROTECT PEOPLE AND NATIONS WITH FAIR LAWS AND JUST COURTS

6) LET ALL NATIONS RULE INTERNALLY RESOLVING EXTERNAL DISPUTES

IN A WORLD COURT

7) AVOID PETTY LAWS AND USELESS OFFICIALS

8) BALANCE PERSONAL RIGHTS WITH SOCIAL DUTIES.

9) PRIZE TRUTH — BEAUTY — LOVE — SEEKING HARMONY WITH THE

INFINITE

10) BE NOT A CANCER ON THE EARTH — LEAVE ROOM FOR NATURE —

LEAVE ROOM FOR NATURE

In conclusion the directives for these GEORGIA GUIDESTONES call for : a) b) c) Elimination of around 7 billion residents d) e) f) Control of how many people are born g) h) i) The return of the system of ONE LANGUAGE as it was during the construction j) k) of the TOWER OF BABEL l) m) n) The other goals seem to infer that there isn’t currently a choice available to us that o) p) can help us to be better people. And there is a choice. q) r) s) But as the prophecy said in Daniel , The Beast/Antichrist will not allow any other t) u) worship, but of himself.

Global Warming and all this false human-directed unity is designed to appeal to our

personal pride , our lustful flesh and our unsatisfied eyes. But we can’t save our

selves. We children need OUR FATHER GOD to fight for us against our evil older

brethren Satan (formerly known as Lucifer) and His Fallen Followers.

CHECK OUT THIS EYE-OPENING VIDEO ON THE SCAM SWINDLE OF GLOBAL WARMING 1) T

HE GREAT GLOBAL WARMING SWINDLE

- URL – [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMA6sszChwQ]

Revelations 11:18

And the nations were angry, and your wrath is here, and the time of the dead, that they

should be judged, and that you should give reward to your servants the prophets, and to

the saints, and them that fear your name, small and great; AND SHOULD DESTROY

THEM WHICH DESTROY THE EARTH.

- FEED YOURSELVES SUGGESTION -

WE ARE MAKING HUNDREDS WHILE GIVING AWAY BILLIONS TO OUR ECONOMIC SLAVE MASTERS !!!

THERE IS NO REASON WHY WE CAN'T TAKE CONTROL OF OUR OWN COUNTRY !

NEIGHBORHOOD COOP GREENHOUSES

ANOTHER SUGGESTION IS FOR THOSE LIVING IN THE CITY TO POOL

THEIR RESOURCES TOGETHER AND MAKE NEIGHBORHOOD COOP

GREENHOUSES . HERE YOU CAN GROW SOME KIND OF FOODS AND NOT

BE TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON GROCERY STORES.

Scientists Debunk UN “Global Warming” [ http://www.infowars.com/scientists-debunk-un-global-warming/ ]

WAKE UP ! STAY UP MY BROTHERS & SISTERS ! BE SELF-SUFFICIENT IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

[http://www.infowars.com/infowars.asx] / [gcnlive.com] / [http://alexjonesringtones.net/]

- Life Is a Game. Have Fun. [ Luke 18:17 / Isaiah 11:6 ]

SO PLEASE WAKE UP MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. GOD IS ALL WE NEED. You are In My Prayers. God Bless Us. God Bless Africa.

Author: com. Ekwealor Chinedu T
Fri Sep 4 11:08:17 2009

It is indeed a healthy agitation. of what benefit will is it to kill someone and pay his or her relatives some compensation? let the rich nations get down to the business of implementations on International agenda as they do on their respective national programmes. A Walk Out from a room that house decision on inflicting injuries and pains on innocent souls, is one to be emulated.

Author: tegga_lendado
Fri Sep 4 16:10:03 2009

SADA says Euro Arabs would not care a dime what happens to us as a people until we are able to motivate our members to see the plight that needs to be corrected. Our leaders must be blamed for not uniting to tackle the climate change and degradations and degeneration of our environment. When I visited my farm lands in Ghana last year, I noticed that four small rivers have vanished. My sisters have farmed the protective forest that my grand father Akwasi Adowia had left around the small rivers due in part to population explosion in my family. Even my grand father who lived 125 years and died in 1994 knew how to protect the rivers but the miseducated Europeanized and Arabized Africans do not know that the tropical sun would suck the rivers when exposed to the sun. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME. Now Ghana is almost a desert land. The impenetrable forest lands that I saw when I was growing up is all gone due to timber contractors. What will the future be with so much indifferences in Africa to our natural feelings. God bless Africa and God bless Africans. Kofi Agyapong 240-417-0299 In a message dated 09/04/09 03:35:01 Eastern Daylight Time, tegga_lendado@yahoo.com writes: tegga lendado (tegga_lendado@yahoo.com) has sent you a news article. (Email address has not been verified.) ------------------------------------------------------------ Personal message:

As an Africa environmetal advocate, I can simply say climate crisis is one of Africa's worst woes. I am not sure if the damage can be deterred, repaired, corrected or even, whether any monetary value can be attached to it. I had seen this coming when I was working for the UN in Mozambique in 1980s'as a forestry engineer and pleaded with the government then. In fact, that was one of the reasons why I abandoned the profession trying to be true to my conscience. Any sound-minded person should support this cause to avert Africa's inhumane destruction. I believe it is time that Africans stand united more than ever to counter any move that aggravates Africa's worsening climatic and ecological conditions. I wish to call upon all Africans and concerned cosmic citizens, community and religious leaders to stand against any global warming provocations, (plus 2 degrees, etc.) in general and Africa's environmental degradation resulting from adverse immoral and greedy political decisions in Copenhagen or any where else. Any irresponsible exploitation of God's creation would dethrone man from his God-given stewardship position and force him to be victim of his own environment. Can any financial deal compromising the Africans' life be made at any time or any place or by any person? A serious assessment on the damage of continental African life and property should be made for the past devastation so as to pave the way for the future peaceful coexistence of all humanity in this terristrial village. My request for Mr. Meles and concerned leaders now is not to make any obscure deal that might haunt us later. Transparency not obscurity, fairness not favoritism, equal partnership not colonial supremacy and mutual cooperation, not monopolistic exploitation should be the way to advance for the sake peace and justice.

Africa to abandon climate talks if demands not met: Ethiopian PM - Yahoo! News

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090903/sc_afp/environmentclimateafrica

============================================================ Yahoo! News http://news.yahoo.com/

Author: tegga_lendado
Fri Sep 4 16:11:47 2009

SADA says Euro Arabs would not care a dime what happens to us as a people until we are able to motivate our members to see the plight that needs to be corrected. Our leaders must be blamed for not uniting to tackle the climate change and degradations and degeneration of our environment. When I visited my farm lands in Ghana last year, I noticed that four small rivers have vanished. My sisters have farmed the protective forest that my grand father Akwasi Adowia had left around the small rivers due in part to population explosion in my family. Even my grand father who lived 125 years and died in 1994 knew how to protect the rivers but the miseducated Europeanized and Arabized Africans do not know that the tropical sun would suck the rivers when exposed to the sun. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME. Now Ghana is almost a desert land. The impenetrable forest lands that I saw when I was growing up is all gone due to timber contractors. What will the future be with so much indifferences in Africa to our natural feelings. God bless Africa and God bless Africans. Kofi Agyapong 240-417-0299 In a message dated 09/04/09 03:35:01 Eastern Daylight Time, tegga_lendado@yahoo.com writes: tegga lendado (tegga_lendado@yahoo.com) has sent you a news article. (Email address has not been verified.) ------------------------------------------------------------ Personal message:

As an Africa environmetal advocate, I can simply say climate crisis is one of Africa's worst woes. I am not sure if the damage can be deterred, repaired, corrected or even, whether any monetary value can be attached to it. I had seen this coming when I was working for the UN in Mozambique in 1980s'as a forestry engineer and pleaded with the government then. In fact, that was one of the reasons why I abandoned the profession trying to be true to my conscience. Any sound-minded person should support this cause to avert Africa's inhumane destruction. I believe it is time that Africans stand united more than ever to counter any move that aggravates Africa's worsening climatic and ecological conditions. I wish to call upon all Africans and concerned cosmic citizens, community and religious leaders to stand against any global warming provocations, (plus 2 degrees, etc.) in general and Africa's environmental degradation resulting from adverse immoral and greedy political decisions in Copenhagen or any where else. Any irresponsible exploitation of God's creation would dethrone man from his God-given stewardship position and force him to be victim of his own environment. Can any financial deal compromising the Africans' life be made at any time or any place or by any person? A serious assessment on the damage of continental African life and property should be made for the past devastation so as to pave the way for the future peaceful coexistence of all humanity in this terristrial village. My request for Mr. Meles and concerned leaders now is not to make any obscure deal that might haunt us later. Transparency not obscurity, fairness not favoritism, equal partnership not colonial supremacy and mutual cooperation, not monopolistic exploitation should be the way to advance for the sake peace and justice.

Africa to abandon climate talks if demands not met: Ethiopian PM - Yahoo! News

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20090903/sc_afp/environmentclimateafrica

============================================================ Yahoo! News http://news.yahoo.com/

Author: upliftdarace_144
Fri Sep 4 22:19:12 2009

This Global Warming Stuff Is A Complete Hoax . Man has so arrogantly told

God, by inference, that God the Creator didn’t Create things quite right. The United

Nations is just another attempt by Satan to build another Tower of Babel .

If you want to know some real truth tune in to Alex Jones’ Infowars broadcast.

You can listen 24 hours a day. It’s live for 4 hours and on continuous re-broadcast for the

other 20 hours. Here’s a link to articles on the Hoax of Global Warming.

[http://www.scroogle.org/cgi-bin/nbbw.cgi]

What is this hype of Global warming for ? It’s designed to give these phony

scientists ( who actually act like they were taking part in the Creation itself ) and the

organizations they represent control of the world’s natural resources. The GEORGIA

GUIDESTONES is consistent with United Nations goals for the world.

Here is a synopsis of the GEORGIA GUIDESTONES :

[The Agenda Of The Antichrist aka The Georgia Guidestones (GG) ]

10 POINTS LIKE THE 10 HORNS OR RELIGIONS OF THE BEAST

[Revelations 13:1]

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having 7

heads (Kings) and 10 HORNS (Religious Kingdoms), and upon his horns ten crowns, and

upon his heads the name of blasphemy

THE GEORGIA GUIDESTONES

1) MAINTAIN HUMANITY'S POPULATION UNDER 500 MILLION IN

PERPETUAL BALANCE WITH NATURE

2) GUIDE REPRODUCTION WISELY —IMPROVING FITNESS AND DIVERSITY

3) UNITE HUMANITY WITH A LIVING NEW LANGUAGE

4) RULE PASSION — FAITH — TRADITION AND ALL THINGS WITH

TEMPERED REASON

5) PROTECT PEOPLE AND NATIONS WITH FAIR LAWS AND JUST COURTS

6) LET ALL NATIONS RULE INTERNALLY RESOLVING EXTERNAL DISPUTES

IN A WORLD COURT

7) AVOID PETTY LAWS AND USELESS OFFICIALS

8) BALANCE PERSONAL RIGHTS WITH SOCIAL DUTIES.

9) PRIZE TRUTH — BEAUTY — LOVE — SEEKING HARMONY WITH THE

INFINITE

10) BE NOT A CANCER ON THE EARTH — LEAVE ROOM FOR NATURE —

LEAVE ROOM FOR NATURE

In conclusion the directives for these GEORGIA GUIDESTONES call for : a) b) c) Elimination of around 7 billion residents d) e) f) Control of how many people are born g) h) i) The return of the system of ONE LANGUAGE as it was during the construction j) k) of the TOWER OF BABEL l) m) n) The other goals seem to infer that there isn’t currently a choice available to us that o) p) can help us to be better people. And there is a choice. q) r) s) But as the prophecy said in Daniel , The Beast/Antichrist will not allow any other t) u) worship, but of himself.

Global Warming and all this false human-directed unity is designed to appeal to our

personal pride , our lustful flesh and our unsatisfied eyes. But we can’t save our

selves. We children need OUR FATHER GOD to fight for us against our evil older

brethren Satan (formerly known as Lucifer) and His Fallen Followers.

CHECK OUT THIS EYE-OPENING VIDEO ON THE SCAM SWINDLE OF GLOBAL WARMING 1) T

HE GREAT GLOBAL WARMING SWINDLE

- URL – [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMA6sszChwQ]

Revelations 11:18

And the nations were angry, and your wrath is here, and the time of the dead, that they

should be judged, and that you should give reward to your servants the prophets, and to

the saints, and them that fear your name, small and great; AND SHOULD DESTROY

THEM WHICH DESTROY THE EARTH.

- FEED YOURSELVES SUGGESTION -

WE ARE MAKING HUNDREDS WHILE GIVING AWAY BILLIONS TO OUR ECONOMIC SLAVE MASTERS !!!

THERE IS NO REASON WHY WE CAN'T TAKE CONTROL OF OUR OWN COUNTRY !

NEIGHBORHOOD COOP GREENHOUSES

ANOTHER SUGGESTION IS FOR THOSE LIVING IN THE CITY TO POOL

THEIR RESOURCES TOGETHER AND MAKE NEIGHBORHOOD COOP

GREENHOUSES . HERE YOU CAN GROW SOME KIND OF FOODS AND NOT

BE TOTALLY DEPENDENT ON GROCERY STORES.

Scientists Debunk UN “Global Warming” [ http://www.infowars.com/scientists-debunk-un-global-warming/ ]

WAKE UP ! STAY UP MY BROTHERS & SISTERS ! BE SELF-SUFFICIENT IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

[ libradio.net ] [http://www.infowars.com/infowars.asx] [gcnlive.com]

- Life Is a Game. Have Fun. [ Luke 18:17 / Isaiah 11:6 ]

SO PLEASE WAKE UP MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. GOD IS ALL WE NEED. You are In My Prayers. God Bless Us. God Bless Africa.

Author: Steve Klaber
Sat Sep 5 02:22:39 2009

He (Meles Zenawi) is definitely right that the issue is policies and action rather than compensation. African economies do not need more foreign money. Foreign money favors importation over domestic production, and hurts your workers and businesses.

Africa's main climate problems can be more directly handled without outside help. Fix your waterways. Clear them of weeds and the silt the weeds produce. Picture the North African aquifers again watering their lands, Lake Chad and its tributaries all restored, the Sahel a healthier color, the Nile tributaries flowing copiously- All of that CAN BE! And with those things, an end to malaria and yellow fever, an end to Quelea infestations, and a sharp reduction in flooding. What is in the way is weeds and silt, millions of hectares of them. All of it is biomass waiting to be made into fuel.

See all comments (18).


SELECT
SELECT

Most Active Stories: Africa

Relevant Links

Topics