2 Dec will be Africa Day under the theme 'Scaling up Financing for Climate Action and Green Growth in Africa"
The African Union Commission, in collaboration with the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the African Development Bank (AfDB), African member states and other regional partners will mark the Africa Day on 2 December 2023 at COP28 in Dubai. The event will be held at the Africa Pavilion, Blue Zone in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The 2023 edition of Africa Day will be held under the theme: "Scaling up Financing for Climate Action and Green Growth in Africa" which aims to amplify Africa's voice at the COPs and to provide the space and platform to highlight Africa's challenges, opportunities and responses to Climate Change.
President William Ruto of Kenya, and Coordinator of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), will give the keynote address.
Other notable speakers at the event include Azali Assoumani, President of the Republic of Comoros & AU Chair; Mr. Moussa Faki Mahamat, Chairperson of the AU Commission; Ms. Josefa Sacko who is AU's Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment.
Mr. Claver Gatete, the Executive Secretary of UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and Mr. Akinwumi Adessina, President of African Development Bank (AfDB), will also speak at the event.
The theme of this year's Africa Day builds on insights and outcomes from the Africa Climate Summit (ACS) that was convened by AU and hosted by Kenya's President William Ruto in Nairobi in September 2023 under the theme: "Driving Green Growth and Climate Finance Solutions for Africa and the World."
In this regard, Africa Day at COP28 will provide a platform for Africa to pitch a strong case for leveraging investment capital from supporting business and ecosystems to leapfrogging to climate-compatible growth for sustainable development.
Why Africa Day at COP?
Africa Day is a key feature of Africa's presence and participation at the various COPs.
It brings together African Heads of State and Government, principals of regional institutions, ministers, researchers, leaders in the private sector and financial institutions, civil society organizations, development partners and various other stakeholders to share common concerns and re-iterate Africa's positions and requirements for a successful COP.
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The day will also highlight key positions to strengthen Africa's negotiations at the COP, dialogue and propose ways forward on key issues relating to climate change and Africa's long term development challenges and share key issues from the annual Climate Change and Development in Africa (CCDA) conference.
The deliberations at Africa Day will therefore focus on building from the above processes to explore ways of mobilizing the close to $3 trillion needed to implement Africa's NDCs.
In particular, discussions will focus on leveraging domestic resource mobilization and boosting foreign direct investments in support of energy transition and deployment of Africa's abundant renewable energy resources; resilient agriculture and food systems; greening the AfCFTA; transformation of critical minerals for batteries and electric vehicles value chains in Africa; and climate change adaptation and resilience and highlight key flagships on resilience - the Great Green Wall Initiative.
High-level launch of Sustainable Trade Africa report by AfDB, AU, ECA, Afreximbank Bank, AfCFTA and the Renewable Energy Investment for the Continental Master Plan, will follow a ministerial session at the event.
