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Not linked to reality: Bonn climate talks missing urgent action

MEDIA RELEASE

Two weeks of UN climate negotiations in Bonn have ended. The next time parties meet will be at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan this November. There, they are expected to adopt a new goal for climate finance.

But the Bonn negotiations, meant to prepare for COP29, have made little progress. Compared to the effects of climate change that faith groups and marginalised communities around the world are experiencing, this is deeply concerning. Global climate leadership is needed now more than ever. Yet, as shown at these talks, global action and cooperation to urgently address the climate crisis is deeply inadequate.

Nushrat Chowdhury, ACT member Christian Aid’s Climate Justice policy advisor comments:

The climate talks are not related to the reality we see on the ground. The need for action is urgent, and it relates to mitigation, adaptation and efforts to address loss and damage.

The Bonn talks focussed on climate finance. This is a core element of the climate debate, as any of the goals related to green and resilient transition of the world depend on investment and access to climate finance.

One of the options of the level of finance the goal needs to aim at was put forward by African States. The Africa Group of Negotiators (AGN) proposed that a USD 1.3 trillion publicly mobilized goal is needed every year to address climate change in the Global South. This number may seem high compared to the current target, USD 100 billion per year. However, USD 100 billion was a political compromise. When we talk about climate finance, we must look at the need. And the need for funding is huge.

One of the deep conflicts in the debate about climate finance is the so-called contributor base. This is the number of countries responsible for mobilizing climate finance. The reality is that many developed countries still are not contributing. Poland, Portugal, the USA and Greece mobilize minimal amounts of climate finance, despite their large historic responsibility in creating emissions.

Illari Aragon, member of ACT’s Climate Justice group comments:

Countries in the Global North should take the lead and share the burden of mobilizing climate finance. We still wait for substantial contributions from developed countries that lag in delivering their climate finance commitments

While finance was the focus at Bonn, other elements of the climate debate need attention. By the beginning of 2025 all parties should have submitted new and updated national climate plans (also called NDCs). These plans should show what each country will do to deliver on the Paris Agreement. These plans should refer to mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage.

The debate about mitigation has been almost invisible in Bonn. This is worrying, as parties are still far from reaching the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Mattias Söderberg, co-chair of the ACT Alliance Climate Justice group, says:

At COP28, last year’s climate summit, negotiating parties agreed to justly transition away from fossil fuels, and to triple investments in renewable energy. These commitments should not be forgotten, and I hope all parties will consider them when they develop their new climate plans.

While the efforts of parties to develop new and more ambitious plans are important, the question of climate finance remains. Many of the existing plans have still not been implemented. This is largely due to lack of access to funding. The adaptation finance needs of developing countries are 10 to18 times greater than international public finance flows, according to UNEP. There remain huge funding challenges for the Global South to enhance gender mainstreaming in their climate planning development and implementation.

Julius Mbatia, ACT Alliance, comments:

We need new national climate plans to ensure that the world can manage the climate crisis. If there is no finance, plans will never be put into action. The level of ambition and implementation will thus depend on the availability of climate finance. This is why climate finance is at the core of the climate debate.

The plans will reflect the transition countries must go through to lower emissions. However, the transition must be fair, and this was also addressed in Bonn. Parties unfortunately did not make any significant progress.

Irene Anena, ACT Alliance Uganda Forum Coordinator, comments:

The Global South is vulnerable and has unique challenges that should not be overlooked. We call for recognition of a fair share by the big polluting countries. We can only have a just transition with a fair distribution of the carbon budget, finance delivery, technology transfer, capacity strengthening and by embracing the principles of human rights.

The talks included a workshop on the Gender Action Plan, specifically on moving from plans to action in fostering gender equality in climate action.

Says Elena Cedillo of the Lutheran World Federation:

A stronger draft text on gender and climate would urge all Parties to designate and support a national focal point on gender and climate change for negotiations, implementation, and monitoring. … It is essential to align gender responsive Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plans with national development planning in a manner consistent with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

Speaking at the Interfaith Liaison Committee’s press conference in Bonn, Sostina Takure of the ACT Alliance Zimbabwe Forum spoke of the challenges faced by women and girls in all their diversity and youth with regards to migration caused by the climate crisis:

We must look at the ripple effects of migration and displacement due to climate change. It is not even planned migration in my context. We are just moving people because a disaster has happened. They don’t have food in the new place. They will marry off their children as young as 8 and 9 years old to develop kinship and community, and to share scarce food. We are destroying a whole generation of young children to survive the effects of climate change. As we go to COP29 let’s remember at the core of Loss and Damage are vulnerable people.

Members of ACT Alliance witness daily the growing effects of the climate crisis on the most marginalized communities in the Global South; those who have done the least to contribute to life-damaging emissions. These effects can only be addressed by a strong commitment to their future by those countries with more resources, who also have a historical responsibility for the emissions that have caused the crisis. This would be climate justice at a global level.

Mattias Söderberg, co-chair of the ACT Alliance Climate Justice group, comments:

As climate diplomats return to their countries, all governments must remember that the climate crisis is real. Just like the COVID-19 crisis was real. The climate crisis can be handled, but only if efforts are made to ensure a just, equitable, green and resilient transition where nobody is left behind.

For interviews contact:

Mattias Söderberg, ACT Alliance Climate Justice group co-chair, DanChurchAid Advocacy lead, WhatsApp: +45 29 70 06 09

Fiona Connelly, ACT Alliance Communications Coordinator, Tel and WhatsApp: +1 647 210-1238

One Voice for One Path: Dialogue and Peace in Latin America and the Caribbean

ACT members from across Latin America gathered in Bogota, Colombia, joined by some members from Europe and North America, in late May to continue the dialogue on: “Regressive Agendas and their Impact on Democracies and Human Rights in Latin America and the Caribbean.”

At the end of the five-day event, the participants issued a public statement entitled One Voice for One Path: Dialogue and Peace in Latin America and the Caribbean. In it, they call on churches and faith communities to “in God’s name, act now in a firm and determined manner to eradicate all types of practices that harm, threaten, and violate human rights, democracies, creation, and social justice, wherever they come from.”

They further call on the international community “to promote inclusive agendas that defend human rights and strengthen our democracies. To governments and economic actors, we urge you to open spaces for real and effective dialogue.”

Finally, they commit to being ready and willing to engage in dialogue.

The full statement is available in Spanish and English.

On the road to Baku: Bonn SB60 a milestone

By Elena Cedillo

On the road to Baku, Azerbaijan and COP29, the Bonn Climate Change Conference (SB60), now beginning its second week, is an important milestone in climate negotiations.

The conference will specify what the conclusions of the Global Stocktake (GST) mean for the next set of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Country representatives must address elements of transparency and reporting while preparing to resolve outstanding issues on carbon markets and voluntary cooperation mechanisms. 

Week one milestones

Parties are divided on the focus of this dialogue. Some believe it should focus solely on finance, using it as a platform to follow up on developed country commitments under the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG). Others argue for a broader scope that includes all outcomes of the Global Stocktake.

New Collective Quantified Goal target debated

The NCQG is set to be adopted at COP29 in Baku later this year. Tough questions about the quantity and quality of climate finance will need to be answered. The new target is expected to build on the previous goal of mobilising $100 billion from developed countries for climate action in developing countries.

Meaningful climate finance is important to ensure enhanced climate action for mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage. Yet the amount of climate finance needed is still under debate. Different figures have been proposed by the negotiating parties and civil society organisations. So far, “trillions” are needed.

Gender and climate need stronger text

The first three days of SB60 featured a workshop on Gender Action Plan (GAP) implementation. Preliminary results of the GAP implementation review were shared, and the World Café methodology was used in reflection sessions. Both Parties and Observers participated, but some reflection sessions were closed to observers and results were not shared in plenary.

Parties need to simultaneously improve and continue GAP implementation to produce a new, higher quality GAP with a longer period for implementation, concrete targets and indicators, and more clarity on roles and responsibilities.

A stronger draft text on gender and climate would urge all Parties to designate and support a national focal point on gender and climate change for negotiations, implementation, and monitoring. It should call for the inclusion of women in leadership positions within delegations, the sharing of best practices, and the integration of key components of the GAP into Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). It is essential to align gender-responsive NDCs and NAPs with national development planning in a manner consistent with the objectives of the Paris Agreement.

Week two begins: June 10 to 13

Parties have much to discuss and agree on during this second week. There is no denying the devastation that many vulnerable communities are suffering from both extreme weather and slow onset events due to climate change.

The week will begin with the SB60 co-chairs presenting a revised version of the NCQG text. There is broad agreement to discuss transparency and qualitative issues such as access, gender, and Indigenous rights.

While the quantum, or amount due, is under discussion, the parties must reflect the seriousness of their intent and raise the level of ambition, as well as guarantee grants instead of loans.

WIM review

Parties are discussing the terms of reference for the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) review. The third and final Glasgow Dialogue (GD3) focused on the need for fit-for-purpose coordination among the UNFCCC Loss and Damage bodies (Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM) Ex-com; Santiago Network (SN); Loss and Damage Fund) to strengthen the Loss and Damage finance regime within and outside the UNFCCC. Discussions are focused on the scope of the WIM review, whether it will focus on WIM performance, and a review of its functions. Parties have agreed on the need for more clarity in the proposed text.

Loss and Damage Fund needs

What is needed from the Loss and Damage Fund? Direct access and rapid disbursement of loss and damage financing, and inclusion of the most vulnerable: women, boys and girls, Indigenous peoples, and displaced persons.

NAP progress slow

COP28 called on Parties to have their National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) policies and planning processes completed by 2025 and to have progressed in implementing them by 2030. To date, only 53 countries have submitted their NAPs. Nevertheless, parties at SB60 are discussing them. A draft decision text on NAPs will be submitted to COP29.

Parties have a proposed text to guide further NAP discussions during week two. Key points include the need for a clear distinction between the formulation and implementation of NAPs, recognition of vulnerable countries’ exceptional circumstances, and support from developed to developing countries as outlined in the Paris Agreement.

Further discussions will need to clarify the role of private sector sources in the formulation and implementation of NAPs. Reliance on loans is not a viable solution for NAP implementation.

Elena Cedillo, LWF Program Executive for Climate Justice and ACT Climate Justice Reference Group co-chair.

Media advisory: SB60 Press conference: A faith perspective on non-economic losses and damages and its financing

10 June 2024

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA ADVISORY

Bonn, Germany: During the SB60 conference, members of the faith community will renew their call for urgent action to address loss and damage, as climate change continues to wreak havoc on communities around the world. The moral call for justice has never been more urgent. Polluters continue to burn fossil fuels at alarming rates, as those who have contributed the least to the climate crisis continue to bear its worst impact.

Whilst the establishment of the Loss and Damage Fund was announced during COP28 last year to much fanfare, levels of finance remain woefully inadequate. Beyond the headline of financing, it is the hidden losses of climate change which remain untold and unaccounted for. The irreversible impacts to individual health and mobility, cultural heritage and indigenous knowledge, or ecosystems and biodiversity are hard to quantify but equally devastating.

The Interfaith Liaison Committee will bring together voices from across different faiths who are united in their calls for climate justice to discuss the non-economic aspects of loss and damage. We’ll hear from representatives of communities who are experiencing the impact of climate change firsthand, and highlight the blurred line separating economic and non-economic losses and damages.

Who:

Nushrat Chowdhury, Policy Advisor (Christian Aid)
Steve Chiu (Tsu Chi)
Sostina Takure, (ACT Alliance)
Jamie Williams (Islamic Relief Worldwide)
Sindra Sharma (PICAN)

Moderator: Valeriane Bernard (Brahma Kumaris)

Where: Nairobi 4 and online

When: Tuesday 11th June 11.00 am

The race to 1.5 C: how the new fossil fuel treaty might rekindle optimism

After decades of negotiations to reduce the impacts of human-induced climate change, a new initiative could change the game.

Daniela Varano

The campaign for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty aims to stop the fossil fuel industry from extracting more oil, coal and gas. For 30 years, governments have focused on international agreements and targets to reduce emissions but have not regulated fossil fuels production in line with their climate goals. Today, global efforts to reduce the demand are met with plans to increase fossil fuel supply.

The world is sitting on a “carbon bomb” ticking towards climate catastrophe.

The fossil problem

The science is clear. Fossil fuel emissions are the dominant cause of climate change. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has found that in 2018, 89% of global CO2 emissions came from fossil fuel.

The economic and health implications of fossil fuel extraction and burning are also profound. According to a Harvard University-led study, more than 8 million people around the world die annually from breathing air containing particles from burning fuels. The economic costs of air pollution from fossil fuel are estimated at $2.9 trillion, far exceeding the likely costs of reducing fossil fuel use.

Fossil fuels are not just a climate issue; they are integral to many products, from plastics to everyday items. Their extraction and use threaten land and biodiversity and are major obstacles to ensuring humanity’s survival.

Unacceptable harm

Despite evidence that the health and well-being of planet Earth’s occupants are at risk, the biggest fossil fuel producer, such as Shell, Exon Mobil, BP and Chevron, have made more than $ 2 trillion in profits over the past three decades. These companies are the main drivers of the climate crisis, and they are betting against our chances to survive it.

They won’t stop, unless we make them.

An investigation by The Guardian revealed that fossil fuel companies are planning more than 150 new projects, each resulting in billions of tonnes of CO2. These expansion plans will make it impossible to keep emissions within the Paris Agreement targets.

With awareness raising and the planet warming, the oil, coal and gas industries are doubling their efforts to stop progress.

Apart from the much-publicised fact that the president of the COP28 was the chair of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (Adnoc), a company that pumped 2.7 million barrels of oil a day in 2021, with plans to double that by 2027, the number of fossil fuel industry representatives at UN climate talks has been increasing. A record number of 2,456 fossil fuel lobbyists were granted access to the COP28 summit in Dubai, more than the delegates from the 10 most climate-vulnerable nations combined.

France brought fossil fuel giants such as Total Energies and EDF as part of its country delegation, Italy brought a team of ENI representatives, and the European Union brought employees of BP, ENI and ExxonMobil.

The industry seems to join these events to greenwash its image and reposition itself as part of the solution. For instance, the Oil and Gas Decarbonization Charter, signed by 50 industry executives at COP28 pledged to reach net zero by 2050 operations, but not for fossil fuel exploitation. This means that it is still OK to drill oil if the drilling is solar-powered.

The harm and influence that these groups are gaining in the UN Climate Talks is unacceptable.

The Consensus Trap

Given that COP decisions require consensus, it is highly unlikely that the richest oil, gas, and coal-producing and consuming countries will agree to ban and phase out fossil fuels any time soon.

In 2015, the Paris Agreement failed to include incentives and penalties to ensure countries did their part. Efforts to reduce the gap between individual pledges and collective temperature goals have also fallen short.

The agreement’s celebrated flexibility has led to widespread non-compliance. Unlike the Kyoto Protocol’s “top-down” approach, where emission targets were collectively negotiated internationally, the Paris Agreement allows countries to set their own emission reduction pledges.

Since the Agreement’s entry into force in 2016, the focus has been largely on “growing ambitions” and “accelerating efforts” rather than ensuring urgent implementation.

The first global stocktake, which debuted at COP 28, acknowledged the need for a “just, orderly, and equitable transition away from fossil fuels in energy systems”. This seems to be a cautious first step in the right direction but much more needs to be done to slash carbon emissions.

The Fossil Fuel Treaty process could represent an opportunity to achieve this common ambition and strengthen the Paris Agreement with new binding rules and mechanisms to fast-track implementation.

Why the new treaty could work

Modelled on the campaign to achieve a Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW), the Fossil Fuel Treaty campaign aims at gathering global support to begin negotiations for a new treaty to end fossil fuel exploitation.

This new international agreement would address the core of the problem: the Paris Agreement’s failure to mention or constrain fossil fuel supply and production.

It’s not the first time that corrective measures have been used in international law to correct regime deficiencies with new legally binding law. Most recently, the new initiative for a UN Tax Convention led by the African Group at the UN that aims at correcting the current inadequate international legal framework on taxes.

The Fossil Fuel Treaty would be complementary to the Paris Agreement and provide a strong signal to investors, industry and fossil fuel producers.

The proposal supported by the campaign includes:

Ending the expansion of the fossil fuel industry.
Managing a rapid and equitable global phase out of existing fossil fuel production.
Ensuring a peaceful, just, and equitable transition for all communities and countries.

Most importantly, the new treaty could include prohibition and compliance mechanisms similar to those in the Montreal Protocol on the ozone layer, which contributed to its success in a relatively short timeframe.

“Climate crunch time”

Faith leaders and organisations worldwide, including many ACT Alliance members, have already endorsed the campaign.

As UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres eloquently said: “this is climate crunch time. We have no more time to lose”.

The 2024 Season of Creation launched this week, features a dedicated page on the Fossil Fuel Treaty campaign website. ACT Alliance invites all its members to support the campaign and sign the call for a fossil fuel free world.

“Supporting the Fossil Fuel Treaty campaign is crucial,” says Elena Cedillo, LWF Program Executive for Climate Justice and ACT Alliance Climate Justice Reference Group co-chair, “as people of faith we are called to care for creation and uphold the dignity of all life. We should end the destructive practices that harm our planet and its people. It is a commitment to justice, compassion, and the protection of our common home for future generations”.

Surviving Amidst Gang Violence in Haiti: Resilience and Recovery

The situation in Haiti remains extremely precarious, with gang violence devastating communities and disrupting lives. For many Haitians, simply existing and going about daily activities means navigating constant threats and traumatic experiences. With the resurgence of violence related to armed groups’ activities in Port-au-Prince since 29 February, thousands of people have been killed, injured, or forced to flee for safety and protection, according to Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Haiti. So far more than 360,000 people left their communities and hundred of thousands are based in some camps around Port-au-Prince(schools, churches, state offices…)

Rampant violence continues in several districts of Port-au-Prince, where coordinated attacks are affecting hundreds of thousands of people. On 10 May, an attack in the Gressier commune (West Department) caused the displacement of around 4,400 people.

The number of survivors of gender-based violence (GBV) increased fivefold between the first two months of the year and March 2024, rising from 250 to 1,543. Sexual violence accounts for 75 per cent of the incidents reported, according to OCHA, on the 16^th of May 2024.

The accounts shared here provide a sobering look at the realities on the ground, but also inspirational examples of resilience and the vital work being done to support survivors.

Psychologist Kate Ulysse paints a distressing picture of the violence playing out in areas like Croix des Bouquets and Cité Soleil near Port-au-Prince. “The different forms of violence people face include robberies, murders, rapes, intimidation and threats,” she explains. Armed gangs exert control over neighborhoods, setting up checkpoints and subjecting residents to searches and abuse. “At that moment, anything is possible.”

The impact on mental health is severe. Ulysse describes survivors grappling with post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, anger and suicidal ideation in the aftermath. “These women’s psychological balance is delicate,” she laments. Many develop pathological conditions like panic attacks, reliving the trauma, and they “always feel in a state of imminent danger.” The stigma and dislocation compound the harm, leaving some feeling they must abandon their communities entirely.

Despite the daunting challenges, local organizations like ACT members Service Chretien d’Haiti (SCH) and partner organizations like ORRAH working with ACT members DKH and LWF/NCA are doing vital work to protect survivors and help them reclaim their lives. Psychosocial support workers like 31-year-old Liliane Joseph provide a lifeline, conducting door-to-door outreach in hard-hit areas. “After, we had to open an office to receive survivors in complete confidentiality, so they feel confident to express themselves,” Joseph explains. “The survivors need support so they don’t continue being victimized.”

Empowerment is key, helping each woman to “know that she is a person, and she has rights – and needs support to guide her to necessary services.” This holistic approach encompasses psychological care but also economic empowerment, like the financial grants SCH provided. As Polone Cadet, a 49-year-old mother of three, expressed: “The support from SCH was very important and came at the right time… otherwise, we could die.”

The gratitude in the survivors’ own words is palpable. Cadet conveyed, “She was happy with the conversation and to see that people are interested in her story and what she is experiencing in her community.” For Helena Prophete*, a young woman who became pregnant after a brutal gang rape at age 14(now, she is 19 and she is at baccalaureate dreaming to be a doctor in the future to support as many girls and women as possible), SCH provided a vital outlet: “By talking about it more and more, I feel better. With SCH, I had this opportunity to find a space to talk, to discuss, and people who understand me.”

While sharing such traumatic accounts is undoubtedly difficult, giving voice to the survivors is crucial for driving awareness, empathy and action to address these crises. Ulysse underscores that supporting the psychosocial and economic needs of women and child survivors “is an expensive but essential program.” NGOs and aid must prioritize Haiti’s local organizations at the forefront of this work.

As Ulysse emphasizes, “Violence harms thousands of people and endangers the lives of thousands of women and children, and it is imperative to support survivors after this trauma so that they can rebuild and take their place in society.” The resilience of the human spirit shines through in these stories of perseverance against adversity. While the road ahead remains long, survivors like Cadet plead: “May God change the situation in Haiti, and may the leaders find a way to agree and provide security in the country.”

Experts and advocates working in communities in Haiti have identified several critical steps to effectively address the issue of violence against women and children:

Increased Funding: Allocate adequate resources to support organizations providing essential services to survivors, including medical care, psychological counseling, legal aid, and economic support.
Improved Coordination: Foster collaboration among various organizations involved in addressing violence against women and children to ensure seamless access to services and prevent duplication of efforts.
Prevention Strategies: Implement comprehensive prevention programs that promote gender equality, respect for women and girls, and challenge harmful social norms that perpetuate violence.
Support for Survivors: Provide tailored support services to survivors, considering their individual needs and circumstances, including medical care, psychological counseling, legal assistance, and economic empowerment opportunities.
Community Engagement: Engage community members, including men and boys, in awareness-raising campaigns and prevention initiatives to foster a culture of respect and non-violence.
Strengthening the Justice System: Ensure accountability for perpetrators of violence against women and children by strengthening the justice system and ensuring fair and timely prosecution.

The situation in Haiti is dire, but there is a glimmer of hope. With concerted efforts from governments, international organizations, local communities, and individuals, we can collectively work towards ending the cycle of violence that plagues Haiti, particularly against women and children.

LWF and NCA; two members of the ACT Alliance, in Haiti urge you to join us in this fight by raising awareness, supporting organizations working on the ground, and advocating for policies that promote gender equality, protect human rights, and build a more just and peaceful society in Haiti.

Together, we can make a difference.

Bonn: time for ambitious climate decisions

By Mattias Söderberg

Finance just one of the ambitious climate decisions needed. PHOTO: Simon Chambers/ACT.

Here we go again. This week the UN Climate talks resume in Bonn. I wonder how aware negotiators are that they are talking about both our future and our responsibility to care for creation?

Decisions on giant climate bill

This year, there are two overarching themes. First, it is time to agree on how to pay the giant climate bill. Since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015 parties have discussed, and adopted, several important decisions which tackle the climate crisis. However, every decision comes with a price tag.

The Global Goal on Adaptation will never be reached unless more adaptation finance is mobilized. The new Loss and Damage fund will not help communities and countries address climate-related losses and damage until it too is filled with money. And parties’ commitments to transition away from fossil fuels will never come true unless there is a radical increase in climate finance.

At COP29, the global climate summit this November, parties are expected to decide on future climate finance. That will be an extremely complex decision. It is therefore one of the hot agenda points over the next two weeks of Bonn talks. Hopefully negotiators can make progress, so that the coming finance agreement at COP29 will be ambitious and fair while ensuring that sufficient funds are mobilized and delivered.

Climate ambition decisions must be acted on

The second important theme of the Bonn talks is the national climate plans. These plans, formally known as Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), are the cornerstone of the Paris Agreement. Parties are expected to revise their plans every fifth year. This process is an ambition mechanism, helping us to increase our actions to tackle the climate crisis.

The NDCs may not be the biggest topic on the formal agenda in Bonn. However, it is certainly a top priority for all parties. The deadline for submitting revised NDCs is early next year. The plans should cover all the aspects of the Paris Agreement and ensure that decisions will become concrete actions.

I hope the negotiating parties in Bonn remember to include efforts to address loss and damage, to describe how they want to adapt to the effects of climate change, and how they want to transition away from fossil fuels. I hope they also remember that climate action must go hand in hand with gender justice, and that localization is a key priority.

The coming two weeks will be important. Even if the talks are technical, we should remember that these are negotiations about our future, and our opportunity to care for creation.

Mattias Söderberg is chief advocacy lead for DanChurchAid and co-chair of the ACT Climate Justice Reference Group.

Cash and Voucher Assistance: the future of people-focused humanitarian operations?

How a flexible approach to Cash Assistance could be an exceptional pathway to rapidly assess and meet vulnerable people’s immediate needs.

Daniela Varano

The use of Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) is considered one of the 2016 Grand Bargain’s most successful achievements.

Cash transfers are direct payments of money as humanitarian assistance, usually given through physical cash, mobile money, smart card transfers or vouchers for local suppliers.

According to the World Bank, the use of cash transfers as a form of aid increased significantly during the COVID pandemic , with the number of individuals receiving CAV support increasing by 240% over pre-Covid levels.

Giving cash to people affected by disasters or conflict is effective. It is a transparent and immediate way of providing support to those in need whilst respecting their dignity and freedom to decide how to best invest in their recovery. It helps the humanitarian sector shift the focus from simple and outdated “aid” to assistance and partnership with local communities, prioritising their agency.

For these reasons, cash assistance is normally preferred by affected communities. An International Rescue Committee project in Lebanon found 80% of people in crisis preferred cash transfers to in-kind aid.

Rather than shipping humanitarian relief goods from their countries to the affected areas, when donor agencies, humanitarian NGOs and governments invest in CVA they support local markets and producers. This encourages local solutions and facilitates post-crisis sustainable recovery.

Relying on local providers also reduces logistical and operational costs and complexities, which is extremely important in a world where the number of humanitarian crises is growing, and the financing is slowing down.

Providing cash can also offer people support before the shock hits. In July 2020, pre-empting a severe flood in Bangladesh, the UN WFP sent cash assistance to more than 20,000 households. When the flood hit, more than 1 million households were inundated. Those that received the cash assistance were better prepared and many were able to evacuate household members and livestock compared to those who received no cash support.

Research suggests that if cash and voucher assistance were delivered where possible and appropriate, it could account for between 30% to 50% of international humanitarian operations.

Although to date, CAV accounts to only 19% of the international humanitarian assistance, international humanitarian actors are pledging to focus on it much more in the future. For instance, the IFRC is committed 50% of their humanitarian assistance through cash and vouchers by 2025.

According to the report “Increasing the use of Humanitarian Cash and Vouchers Assistance” published by the Calp Network, donors and the private sector see the potential of scaling up CVA: it means less transaction costs, time and less contracts.

But scaling up CVA means that the humanitarian sector needs to let go of some of its outdated assumptions and structures that prevent it from meeting the needs of people facing a crisis.

Cash assistance: localization as a core principle

The humanitarian sector stands at a crossroad. It is a well-known fact that the sector is struggling to keep pace with the growing demands placed on it. The CAV debate and efforts to implement it more efficiently could be an opportunity for bold reform and for placing accountability to affected people (AAP) at the very core of policy and decision-making.

But cash assistance is no silver bullet. Old challenges, biases, and roadblocks must not be underestimated. For instance, there is already a tendency to concentrate funding towards UN agencies and INGO consortia which can be seen to be at odds with commitments to localise humanitarian responses and funding. Limiting the number of organisations receiving funding can be financially sensible from a donor perspective but can also create a centralised and exclusive club of humanitarian players.

This concentration of funds and resource can also create inefficiencies in the system and a disconnect between local actors and governments hindering the potential of CVA. According to the report, Cash Coordination: Placing people’s needs at the center, engaging and respecting the leadership of local actors is critical to the success of any humanitarian action. They often are the first responders and will remain active long after international humanitarian actors have departed.

But tensions between action and commitments taken towards achieving localisation are growing. According to the report, “Locally-led responses to cash and Voucher in the Middle East and North Africa”, international actors must challenge existing unconscious bias and “demand and advocate for financial institutions to facilitate more collaborative funding models and increase accessibility of funds to local actors. Actionable steps would include facilitating direct conversations between donors and local actors, accounting for indirect costs for local actors into proposals, promoting alternative and innovative project design and ensuring contract provisions include local agencies in leadership positions for the project design and delivery”.

What we have learned so far

When a crisis hits, responders face the complexities of addressing people’s needs in an effective, timely and impactful way. When used flexibly, cash assistance has proven to be an exceptional pathway for rapidly assess and meet vulnerable people’s immediate needs.

After Russia’s full-scale invasion in Ukraine in 2022, Christian Aid and partner organisations adopted a Cash for Protection (C4P) approach called Assess and Assist. The premise of this approach was to rapidly light-touch assess the protection needs of those affected by the conflict and provide cash support for urgent unmet necessities. The approach was easily adopted by local and national actors and international agencies alike and proved to be an excellent way of operating on the ground.

Notwithstanding the challenges with cash coordination, the Assess and Assist methodology adopted by Christian Aid complemented other locally-led approaches, such as the survivor and community led response (sclr), and global commitments, and filled the gaps and complications related to the multi purpose cash assistance’s targeting criteria and transfer value. The people-centered and intuitive nature of the newly established Assess and Assist, proved to be a strong element in a successful appeal delivered by ACT Alliance members in Ukraine.

“For Assess and Assist we wanted to have an approach that was people-centred, but also locally led. The Ukraine team had seen that MPCA alone was not meeting all needs. Partners wanted the flexibility to assist people in a comprehensive way by covering additional needs and linking them with other services. The broader aim was to have cash assistance tailored to people’s needs, but also in line with what partners were already doing, or wanted to do”, says Matthew Tebbutt, Global Cash and Markets Adviser at Christian Aid.

The core goal of humanitarian support in a situation of crisis is to make sure that the dignity, wellbeing and human rights of those who are in need of support are upheld. For these reasons the different forms of CAV are one flexible and intuitive tool in the toolbox of Protection in Humanitarian Emergencies.

However, cash assistance works best with local actors. Local and National actors are chronically underrepresented in the multi purpose cash assistance process and those who deliver on it, are service contractors who feel they have little say in shaping it.

“To meet people’s basic needs Multipurpose Cash Assistance is generally a great approach. However, it is not the only way to use cash, we are trying to use cash approaches that are locally- led as well as encouraging the use of MPCA. We see localising MPCA as different to Locally-Led cash. Locally Led Cash is where local actors use cash to meet their own objectives, localising MPCA is more where harmonised and systematic cash is increasingly locally accountable and responsive to contextual realities. We are keen to explore how Locally Led cash and MPCA can complement each other”, points out Matthew Tebbutt.

National and local flexibility is paramount to ensure effectiveness and meet the real needs during a crisis, but this need is often downed by the pressure to harmonise and coordinate on Multi Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA).

“The ACT Secretariat is committed to supporting members in the use of cash in humanitarian programming. Currently, approximately 7% of RRF funds (ACT GRRF 2023 Annual report) are used for the purposes of cash programming. This statistic places our Alliance significantly behind the wider humanitarian sector in terms of the use of cash. We are keen to understand why this is the case and to work with members to help strengthen our common understanding and use of cash for high quality and effective humanitarian programming”, explains Niall O’Rourke, Head of Humanitarian Affairs for ACT Alliance.

Learn more:

https://www.calpnetwork.org/cash-and-voucher-assistance/

https://odihpn.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/HPN_SCLR-Network-Paper_WEB.pdf

https://www.christianaid.org.uk/our-work/policy/letting-go-control-sclr

ACT Alliance Syria Forum message to the VIII Brussels Conference on “Supporting the future of Syria and the region”

A complex humanitarian emergency in Syria of more than 13 years, had led to the near collapse of the country’s economy and its physical infrastructure. This crisis was exacerbated by the 2023 earthquakes, and is far from being over. In fact it is getting worse. Today, Syrians are unable to provide the most basic needs for themselves and their family members. They are left with limited choices: buy food or pay rent; buy medicine or send their children to school. For millions, even these simple choices are no longer an option. Taking care of one’s health and purchasing warm winter clothes are the vaguely remembered luxuries of a distant past. Constant conflicts and widespread poverty, combined with the international community’s unwillingness to fund needed disaster risk reduction programmes[1], early recovery and reconstruction have taken a toll on the Syrian people. If not addressed, critical looming challenges threaten to significantly worsen the already dire situation of the Syrian people.

The overlap of Unilateral Coercive Measures (UCMs), sanctions imposed on the country in 2011 by other states, with these multiple crises have created a shortage of essential goods and major restrictions on financial flows. This has led to skyrocketing prices, the loss of purchasing power, and an extremely high rate of unemployment[2]. Today, an estimated 90 percent of Syrians live below the poverty line.[3] The cost of living, as measured by the Minimum Expenditure Basket (MEB), has more than doubled compared to this period in 2023, a 122 percent increase. The Syrian Pound (SYP) remains relatively weak in 2024 and has lost more than half its value on the parallel market.

In addition to natural and political factors, the direct, indirect, accumulative and combined impact of UCMs will perpetuate the impoverishment and suffering for the population of the country without affecting their officially intended targets.

Members of the ACT Alliance Syria Forum[4] include national and international organizations that have operated in Syria since 1994. In this letter submitted to the Brussels conference, the Forum would like to address important matters that are much needed to alleviate the suffering of more than 16.7 million Syrians needing humanitarian assistance[5] within Syria as well as its neighboring countries.

Regional Impact

Since October 2023, the escalation of hostilities in northwest Syria has led to unprecedented levels of suffering, as reported in the 2024 Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO). This includes numerous casualties, forced displacements, and the destruction of critical infrastructure. Given a level of destruction and suffering not seen since 2019, proxy conflicts and internationally-supported military actions persist in various parts of the country. Increased airstrikes have been observed on civilian facilities (airports), vital infrastructure and civilian neighborhoods in and around Damascus where international non-governmental organizations operate, affecting the delivery of essential humanitarian support.

In Northeast Syria (NES), civilian infrastructure, such as power and water stations, have been deliberately targeted. This has severely undermined the region’s ability to meet people’s essential needs, especially in harsh winter weather. The effects of the attacks are expected to continue as the infrastructure requires extensive repairs beyond the capabilities of humanitarian organizations.

In Northwest Syria, clashes between the Government of Syria and non-state armed groups continues. This has led to forced displacement of civilians and is obstructing access to vital services. Civilian infrastructure, including healthcare facilities and schools, continues to be targeted by airstrikes and shelling, increasing the humanitarian crisis in the region.

Reduced Funding

Funding to support the Syrian crisis was substantially reduced in 2022. ACT Alliance members operating in Syria made the difficult decision to choose between delivering food, or medicine or shelter. These basic needs must be met and more support must be allocated to humanitarian organizations working within Syria. The international community is urged to distinguish between the political and humanitarian aspects of the crisis and ensure that the human rights of the Syrian people come first.

Unilateral Coercive Measures

Organizations operating in Syria today still face significant limitations in designing their activities. They face restrictions in the selection of local suppliers and service providers. Excessive compliance requirements create challenges in access to international procurement and receiving funds.

The December 2022 United Nations Security Council Resolution 2664 provides broad humanitarian exemptions meant to mitigate the impact of counter terrorist measures on the delivery of humanitarian aid. In the spirit of this Resolution we ask for humanitarian exemptions to be systematic, clear, and harmonized between jurisdictions. The Unilateral Coercive Measures negatively impact the delivery of humanitarian support by delaying the response. This reduces its potential and increases both its cost and the daily hardships faced by the Syrian people.

We call for:

○ A comprehensive revision of the sanctions’ framework from a legal perspective, conforming with both International Law and International Humanitarian Law to avoid any breach.

○ A sincere analysis of the sanction’s intended, unintended and counterproductive impacts on the Syrian people from a humanitarian perspective.

The ACT Alliance Syria Forum denounces the double standards shown following the 2023 earthquake that greatly affected Syria and Turkey. We urge the international community and the European Union to see the restrictions and pre-conditions imposed on reconstruction-related activities from a humanitarian perspective rather than a political lens. We call on the international community to support national and international organizations that are re-establishing access to essential infrastructures to meet the basic needs of the Syrian people.

Renewed International Commitments

The ACT Alliance in Syria, Jordan and Lebanon also request renewed international commitments to long-term actions for refugees and host communities which are centered on empowering their agency and autonomy. This includes – but is not restricted to – inclusion, income generation and labour market participation. Ensure that the needs and preferences of refugees and vulnerable populations are reflected in national response plans, compensation schemes, and economic packages as well as social protection schemes supported by international financial institutions and that such commitments translate into inclusion in service provision. There is also a dire need for more funding as the needs are ever growing.

We urge the Brussels conference and the international community to understand how coercive measures, the lack of funding and aid politicization have and continue to hinder the delivery of a principled, timely and efficient humanitarian response which the population of Syria is entitled to, and to take the necessary actions to tackle those challenges.

Download the statement here

Enough is Enough: Statement of the ACT Palestine forum on the Situation in Gaza

As Christians, we witness the ongoing barbarities in Gaza with heavy hearts.

The atrocities we see daily challenge international humanitarian law and our Christian principles of compassion, solidarity, dignity, respect, inclusion, and justice. It is unacceptable that faith-based and civil society organizations providing humanitarian assistance in Palestine face barriers to delivering life-saving assistance to those in desperate need. It is also unsufferable that many churches and people of faith remain silent and don’t denounce what is going on in Gaza. We must clearly state that “Enough is enough!” Denying millions of Palestinian people access to the essentials for their survival, is an outrage. Aid agencies report that half a million people in Gaza are on the brink of starvation, while the entire population of 2.3 million faces acute food shortages. Despite compelling evidence, the international community has yet to take decisive action to prevent the worst.

If not the institutions that bear a strong moral compass, like the churches, then who else will raise their voices to denounce these injustices against humanity? It is our collective responsibility to advocate for compassion, inclusion, and justice, based on our intrinsic moral responsibility. As Christians, we are obligated to manifest the interconnectedness of peace and security with our beliefs, in the context of our economic, social, and political life together. Our theological positions should find pragmatic expression in our actions to denounce injustices and announce the Good News. The cries of present hardships in Gaza and the lack of political will to ensure long-lasting peace resonate in the heavens. The urgent calls for aid serve as a rebuke against any notion that our Christian and faith-based institutions bear no responsibility to advocate alongside those in distress. We must champion peace and justice by using our influence, values, and moral authority to foster dialogue, reconciliation, and respect for human dignity among the conflicting parties. We must demand, as humanitarian faith-based organizations, to be able to deliver humanitarian assistance free from barriers. We can use our platforms to advocate, as we know that our guidance can shape public opinion and encourage positive actions.

There is no peace without justice, nor justice without peace.

A superficial peace that ignores underlying injustices is fragile and unsustainable. True peace requires addressing the root causes of the conflict in Palestine, ensuring fairness, the application of international conventions and the upholding of human rights. Pursuing justice through violent means perpetuates cycles of revenge and conflict, therefore, justice must be pursued in ways that promote reconciliation, healing, and stability.

The disproportionate response by the Israeli armed forces to the massacre carried out by Hamas on October 7, 2023 has moved beyond what can reasonably be called “self-defense.” The right to self-defense has its limits in international law and in the principles we collectively depend on to enable humanitarian access and assistance. These have now been massively eroded.

The International Criminal Court (ICC), is currently analyzing South Africa’s genocide case against Israel. As faith-based organizations committed to international law we support the Court in its crucial and difficult work. However, protecting civilians from the scourge of conflict and war crimes is everybody’s responsibility.

Religious leaders and actors have a significant responsibility in actively preventing atrocities. In line with the ACT Alliance engagement in the “Plan of Action for Religious Leaders and Actors to Prevent Incitement to Violence that could lead to Atrocity Crimes”, and the promotion of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, we are called to work towards the prevention of atrocities and genocide.

We have a duty to speak out.

Therefore, we call on all ACT Alliance members and their related churches to proactively engage to stop the atrocities and promote peace and dignity for the people affected by the conflict. This includes:

Call for an immediate ceasefire to allow aid into Gaza, protect civilians, and uphold human rights;
Call on their government to take decisive action to prevent further suffering in Gaza and advocate for increased humanitarian assistance and support for the Gaza’s population, particularly for those on the brink of starvation, the sick and injured.
Call on churches and religious leaders to break their silence and speak out against the injustices in Gaza and to mobilize and support efforts for peace, justice, and humanitarian assistance;
Urge the conflicting parties to allow unhindered access for humanitarian organizations to deliver life-saving assistance;.
Appeal to all parties involved in the conflict to adhere to international humanitarian law and to prioritize the protection of civilians;
Call for an immediate ceasefire and the reopening of a dialogue towards a lasting peace agreement;
Stress the significant responsibility of religious leaders in denouncing the risk factors of genocide and preventing atrocities;
Call on religious leaders to use their moral authority to advocate for peace, justice, and the protection of human rights in Gaza;
Support efforts towards accountability and justice through legal mechanisms such as the International Criminal Court.