COP28 Blog: New and additional monies important for Loss and Damage Fund

By Nushrat Chowdhury 

The historic agreement to operationalise the Loss and Damage Fund was completed in the early day of COP28. Thanks goes to the host of this year’s climate summit, the United Arab Emirates, for all their work in the run up to this moment.  

Despite having no obligation to do so, the United Arab Emirates committed $100 million to the Fund, acknowledging its significance in helping climate vulnerable communities around the world. This gesture has paved the way for the industrialised nations to support the immediate capitalisation of the fund – only fair, as they are responsible for about 80 percent of historical greenhouse gas emissions.  

At the time of writing, developed countries including the UK, the US, Ireland, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Japan, Canada, Italy, Estonia and Spain had pledged around $500 million to the Fund. This is too little to support the needs of climate impacted communities. The economic costs of loss and damage in developing countries is estimated to be between $290 to $580 billion by 2030. This doesn’t include losses that are difficult to measure, such as the loss of territory, ecosystem services, and biodiversity. 

While these pledges to the Loss and Damage Fund are appreciated, it is important to determine whether it is new and additional finance in the form of grants. Repurposing previously committed finance from humanitarian assistance or any other overseas development aid (ODA) will limit support for ever-growing humanitarian needs. Relabelling mitigation and adaptation finance as loss and damage finance will put more lives and livelihoods in danger. Given the interlinkages between mitigation and adaptation costs and loss and damage, delayed climate action will only contribute to increased and more frequent losses and damages in climate afflicted communities. 

Addressing climate change is a matter of justice. Poorer communities are disproportionately impacted by the climate crisis despite having the least responsibility for causing it. New and additional grants-based finance can help climate change-affected communities rebuild their lives and livelihoods after a disaster strikes or following slow-onset disasters such as sea-level rise, river erosion, or desertification. There’s no way that relabeling or repurposing finance is acceptable in battling the climate crisis.  

Developed countries also need to indicate their potential contribution in replenishing the Fund, as a significant portion of the finance pledged at this COP will be used to establish the facility with some finance going to related funding arrangements. This will signal the possible amount of money truly going to the impacted communities. Creating a direct access pathway to the Fund for communities is critical – enabling disaster-affected communities to reach out to the Fund without intermediaries. 

The many pledges to support the newly operationalised Fund are positive signs. Yet they shouldn’t take away from previously committed climate action finance.  

Nushrat Chowdhury is a climate policy advisor with Christian Aid, based in Dacca, Bangladesh. 

MEDIA RELEASE: COP28 Global Stocktake draft offers “small fruits among large thorns” 

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

December 11, 2023 

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – The text released on the Global Stocktake (GST) on Monday evening, December 11, offers only “small fruits among large thorns,” says Julius Mbatia, ACT Alliance’s global climate justice programme manager. 

After nearly two weeks of discussions in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates’ presidency has presented a text to the plenary that offers very few wins amidst a sea of disappointing, unambitious provisions. 

 Julius Mbatia, ACT Alliance, comments: 

The GST text is weak in ambition.  It does not offer needed crucial decisions but typically restates previous agreements while carefully not committing to fully supporting NDCs and NAPs. 

The GGA text too carefully steers away from developed country obligations to provide finance to developing countries; only recalls COP26 doubling adaptation finance decision; and is silent on the future need for developed countries to provide finance for adaptation. This is not a  reassuring finance package amidst worsening climate impacts.

 Elena Cedillo, Lutheran World Federation, co-chair of the ACT Alliance Climate Justice Group comments: 

The current text of the GST falls far, far short of what is needed to keep the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement. Governments must raise their ambition to face the climate emergency. The survival of our planet is at stake. 

 Rev. Tamsyn Kereopa of the Arawa & Tuwharetoa tribes, Anglican Church in Aotearoa New Zealand  and Polynesia comments: 

We are at a tipping point and strong commitments are needed now in order to safeguard Mother Earth and the life she supports. This text therefore comes as a devastating blow. It is tragic that politics and the economic interests of the powerful are still the strongest priority for many parties. Such short sightedness will be directly responsible for the coming irreversible damage. 

Maro Maua, Lutheran World Federation youth climate activist, comments: 

As youth participating in COP28, this is very disappointing. Governments must show commitment to future generations. Raising ambition is a must to provide a future for future generations. 

George Devendorf, Senior Director of External Relations, Church World Service, comments: 

Tonight’s draft agreements illustrate a remarkable degree of timidity at a time calling for courageous, principled action. As COP28 draws to a close, we implore nations to seize this moment, demonstrate true leadership, and deliver a robust, accountable, and just roadmap to help humanity navigate the daunting challenges that lie before us.  

 Savanna Sullivan, Lutheran World Federation, comments: 

I am angered by the lack of government commitment in the GST. Their actions prioritise the profits of a few over both the survival of the planet and over the voices of millions of young leaders calling for change. Phasing out of fossil fuels quickly is essential for the respect of God’s creation and the survival of future generations. 

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

 The text throws out the target of 1.5.  It is a scandal. 

Most items are voluntary. If this document is adopted, the effect will depend fully on political will by parties. Text that could be positive is often couched in nebulous terms like “notes” and “could include” without actually requiring anything. In particular, finance – critical to implementation of ambitious mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage actions – is largely lacking from the new text. 

The new proposed #COP28 text will not lead us towards the 1.5 degree target. I do hope that parties continue to engage in the negotiations, to increase their ambition.

 ACT Alliance joins many parties in the developing world and civil society and other organisations in calling for a phase out of fossil fuels.  “This phase out must go hand in hand with a just transition and finance for the phase out to support developing countries as they shift,” notes Simon Chambers, ACT Alliance’s director of communications.  

Media contact: 

Simon Chambers, Director of Communications, ACT Alliance 

WhatsApp: +1-416-435-0972 email: simon.chambers@actalliance.org 

Empowering Refugees through Humanitarian Quality and Accountability Programming in Uganda

Author: Rizwan Iqbal | Global Accountability and Safeguarding Coordinator, ACT Alliance

Uganda, a country known for its generous approach towards refugees, has been a safe haven for thousands fleeing conflict and persecution in neighboring nations. In a bid to further enhance the support provided to refugees and ensure they receive dignified assistance, a workshop on “Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS)” was hosted by ACT Uganda Forum and facilitated by ACT Secretariat’s staff Mr. Rizwan Iqbal and Ms. Caroline Nguju on August 30-31, 2023. It was a collaborative effort between several ACT Uganda Forum members to strengthen the quality and accountability of humanitarian aid. Thanks to the active participation of dedicated participants from Church of Uganda (CoU), Rural Action Community Based Organization (RACBO) , Cordaid, Dan Church Aid (DCA), Finn Church Aid (FCA), Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and World Renew.

The workshop was designed based on a pre-Learning Needs Assessment and for 89% of the attendees this was the first comprehensive workshop on CHS. Participants engaged in vibrant discussions, shared best practices, and identified key challenges in humanitarian aid delivery. The diversity of perspectives and experiences enriched the discussions enabling them to develop a comprehensive action plan to enhance the quality and accountability of aid programs.

The plans included:

  1. Capacity Building: Strengthening the capacity of staff and partners involved in refugee assistance to ensure they have the necessary skills and knowledge to deliver high-quality aid based on Humanitarian Principles, Code of Conduct and CHS Commitments.
  2. Accountability Mechanisms: Implementing robust accountability mechanisms to track the effectiveness and impact of aid programs, ensuring that they meet the needs of refugees. Including CHS requirements in the monitoring tools and establishing/improving Complaints Response Mechanism.
  3. Community Engagement: Promoting greater engagement with refugee communities to understand their unique needs and preferences, enabling more tailored and effective assistance.
  4. Data and Monitoring: Enhancing data collection and monitoring systems to provide real-time feedback and improve decision-making in aid delivery.
  5. Collaborative Partnerships: Encouraging collaboration among ACT Forum members, other humanitarian organizations, government agencies, and NGOs to leverage resources and expertise effectively.

In conclusion, the CHS workshop in Uganda received good feedback and participants marked it useful during the workshop evaluation, thanks to the dedicated participants, the exceptional hosting arrangements by LWF, and the outstanding coordination by Ms. Irene – ACT Uganda Forum Coordinator. The action plans developed during this workshop will undoubtedly have a positive impact on the lives of refugees in Uganda, improving the quality and accountability of humanitarian assistance.

As we move forward, let us continue to work together to uphold the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence, ensuring that refugees in Uganda receive the support and assistance they deserve. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of those who need it most.

ACT Alliance’s innovative mentorship for greater CHS impact

This news is a duplicate of an article  that was originally published on the CHS Alliance’s website

ACT Alliance, a dedicated CHS Alliance member, has embarked on an innovative approach to support programme quality and accountability within its membership. ACT Alliance has been CHS Certified since 2017. Committed to the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS) and its transformative potential, ACT Alliance initiated a pilot programme to mentor and guide selected national organisations through the CHS self-assessment process.

As a result of this new approach, ACT Alliance and CHS Alliance are witnessing increased interest from local NGOs operating in similar contexts. Rizwan Iqbal, Global Accountability & Safeguarding Coordinator at ACT Alliance, emphasises the importance of supporting local and national NGOs: “As meeting the CHS is so fundamental for providing the type of accountable aid crisis-affected people have the right to, donors and large partners must support them to achieve this.”

This pioneering initiative by ACT Alliance, supported by its funding member Kerk in Actie, is not just about meeting standards; it’s a journey of empowerment, collaboration, and positive transformation that is rippling through the sector. As these organisations continue to champion accountability and quality improvement, their impact resonates far beyond this pilot.

Global engagement

ACT Alliance established clear criteria for engagement with the pilot initiative and hosted a global webinar to explain how it works to potential participants. The response was very strong, with over 20 applications received. Ultimately, four organisations—Anglican Development Services (ADS) Kenya, Cuban Council of Churches, Service Chretien d’Haiti (SCH), and YAKKUM Emergency Unit (YEU) Indonesia—were chosen to participate based on their applications which showed a good understanding of the pilot and how they would constructively utilise the support available.

Flexible support

ACT Alliance provided these organisations with technical support and a flexible grant of USD 7,500 to conduct a comprehensive CHS self-assessment and improvement plan. The funds were not restricted to specific uses, allowing organisations to leverage existing efforts, use innovative approaches and address their unique needs.

“For the Council of Churches of Cuba, conducting a CHS self-assessment represented a great opportunity for staff self-reflection on how to improve the quality of our response to affected communities and renew our commitment to more transparent accountability. Without the support to carry it out, we would not be able to evaluate ourselves in the same way.” Maria L. Navas Zorrilla, Humanitarian & Development Specialist Adviser, Cuban Council of Churches.

Hands-on help

While these organisations were already incorporating the CHS into their operations, they sought verification against the Standard to better understand and act on the CHS Commitments. ACT Alliance collaborated closely with each organisation, offering support in initiating the self-assessment process, identifying resources in relevant languages, and fostering senior management commitment.

Throughout the process, ACT Alliance played a strong mentoring role, offering guidance, specialised training where needed, and assistance in navigating tools. Ernst Abraham, Executive Director of local ACT Alliance member SCH Haiti, highlighted the impact of this support: “SCH received continuous support from ACT and CHS Alliance. This assistance made a dramatic difference, and without it, SCH would not be able to make the assessment correctly and completely.”

Transformative changes

The self-assessment process has become a catalyst for internal and external collaboration, as organisations examine precisely where they need strengthening and what resources—internal or external—are required.

The simultaneous engagement of pilot organisations in the self-assessment process has fostered peer learning, creating a supportive community working towards a common goal. Anastasia Maylinda, Executive Member Manager of YEU Indonesia, noted, “This self-assessment process has had a positive impact, especially in areas of organisational governance, operational and partnership building.” Ernst Abraham of SCH, Haiti highlighted a significant change in staff sensitivity to abuse and sexual exploitation, leading to the hiring of more women as field staff to better support vulnerable women.

Charles Macharia, Programs Manager of ADS Kenya, shared, “We now feel more confident engaging at many different levels with quality and accountability mechanisms nationally, regionally and globally. The self-assessment process also gives us the chance for different departments to work together internally on our shared quality and accountability goals.”

Championing the cause

These pilot organisations have become champions of CHS in their respective countries, actively promoting the Standard and sharing their experiences. YEU in Indonesia recently conducted a learning workshop on the CHS self-assessment journey for ACT Alliance Forum members in Indonesia and local partners, setting an example for other organisations. ADS Kenya is actively encouraging and supporting other entities to initiate their CHS self-assessments.

Leadership in action

ACT Alliance have shown what is possible when national organisations are proactively supported to make the most of the CHS. CHS Alliance calls on all INGOs to actively champion the CHS: now is the time for the CHS movement to step up and ensure all organisations can fulfil our shared CHS Commitments to the people we serve.

COP28 Press release: The final stretch – ambition must go up, and not be watered down

Negotiations at the UN Climate Summit, COP28, are struggling. The usual conflicts over finance and equity are making it difficult for parties to agree. The new text, which builds on consultations with the parties, is a sign of some worrying  compromises, as they inadequately  acknowledge the seriousness of the climate crisis. Still, countries are far apart and getting ambitious decisions at this COP seems a tall order.  

This is despite COP 28 starting on a good note with the adoption of a decision to set up the Loss and Damage fund and funding arrangements. 

Nushrat Chowdhury, Climate Justice Policy Advisor, Christian Aid, comments:

  • This is a landmark  moment for communities and people on the frontline of climate induced loss and damage impacts. The fund must be capitalized and continuously replenished to a scale that meets the loss and damage impacts costed at hundreds of billions of dollars each year.

2023 has been full of climate related disasters, in both the global north and the global south, and climate scientists have delivered fresh and concerning research, indicating that we need bold and drastic decisions to manage the climate crisis.

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

  • We must remember that the climate crisis is about people, and their lives and livelihoods.  For people who are displaced by flooding in South Sudan, or who face landslides in Nepal, the need for mitigation, adaptation and efforts to address loss and damage, is evident.

Controversial elements include the phasing out of fossil fuels. A phase out of all fossil fuels, not just unabated fossil fuels is urgently required in order to keep global temperature rise to 1.5C. However, failure to phase out fossil fuels without appropriate measures to create alternative income and employment and to ensure access to renewable energy for all through a just transition will have devastating impacts on growth and development around the world. Thus, climate finance, and initiatives to promote collaboration to ensure this just transition, is the key to a strong COP28 outcome.

Sara Savva Deputy Director GOPA-DERD/ACT Alliance – Member of ACT MENA CJWG comments:

  • If we do not act now, consequences will be terrifying for us all, especially for the most vulnerable in the global south, as worldwide temperature increase moves beyond 1,5 degrees.

Julius Mbatia, ACT Alliance global climate justice programme manager, comments:

  • It is undeniably true that the world must transition from fossil fuel-run development to greener, renewable energy powered development. This transition must be fair, and equitable with rich countries taking the lead and providing sufficient finance  to cushion the transition in countries without equal levels of wealth and capacity. 

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

  • The only option we have is to phase out all fossil fuels. The alternative will be terrifying for us all, and global temperature increase will move beyond the 1,5 degree.
  • It is sad that this need is not acknowledged and respected by the global north. Finance and commitments about cooperation are a crucial block in these talks, and we will not have an ambitious outcome of fossil fuels unless we also have an ambitious outcome on finance.

Finally, the fact that the climate crisis is so critical, makes the Global Goal on Adaptation even more important. COP28 should adopt a framework for this goal, to ensure that we have  a blueprintfor adaptation action. It should present global targets for adaptation action, and guide governments, politicians and organizations, when they invest in adaptation, ensuring that their efforts have impact.

Sara Savva Deputy Director GOPA-DERD/ACT Alliance – Member of ACT MENA CJWG comments,

  • Without  a good blueprintfor adaptation, I am afraid the scarce adaptation funds will not have the desired impact. 
  • A blueprint  without targets indicators will be difficult to monitor, and if there are no references to funding, it will be very uncertain if the plans actually will be implemented. 
  • The current text for the Global Goal on Adaptation is far too weak, and it will not become the tool governments, organisations and politicians will need when they plan their adaptation interventions.  

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

  • As ACT Alliance, we urge all the parties to come to consensus on a final decision at this COP that incorporates strong climate justice, clear indicators on the Global Goal for Adaptation, a full phase out of fossil fuels that includes a just transition, and adequate new and additional climate finance- in the form of grants, not loans- to meet the needs of countries and communities in the global south, who face the brunt of the impacts of climate change already.

Media contact:

Simon Chambers, director of communications, ACT Alliance
WhatsApp: +1-416-324-0972 email: simon.chambers@actalliance.org 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

COP28 Blog: Accountability is key at negotiations

By National Council of Churches in the Philippines

On average, at least twenty typhoons make landfall in the Philippines every year; five of these are predicted to be destructive. The

Typhoon Goni, Bicol Region, Philippines

devastation caused by these typhoons has unfortunately become a normal occurrence in marginalised Filipino communities. Somewhat ironically, these communities are being praised worldwide for their resilience and optimism in otherwise hopeless scenarios. The experiences of the people of the Philippines are living testimonies that climate change impacts are not just measured by the strength of typhoons, but by their intersectional and lasting effects on vulnerable communities. 

According to the 2021 Global Climate Risk Index, the Philippines is the fourth most vulnerable country to the long-term impacts of climate change. To take this risk seriously, the country must address the losses and damage caused by the climate crisis and execute adaptation and mitigation measures toward a people-centered development, low-carbon future. 

While the Philippines’ contribution to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is relatively small compared to those of the G20, studies show that the country’s emissions have increased by 114 percent between 1990 and 2017. This is due both to the Philippine energy and industry sectors which continue to build coal-fired powerplants, and to government projects that allow massive degradation of the country’s natural resources through reclamation, land conversions and mega dam construction. The lives of environmental defenders who struggle to protect all life in land and sea are also at stake; as they are deliberately attacked because of their advocacy. It is high time for the country to take genuine steps towards climate crisis mitigation that puts the welfare of people and biodiversity at its core.  

There is also an important global aspect that we would have hoped was addressed at COP28. The National Council of Churches in the Philippines believes that the climate crisis must be addressed by holding major greenhouse gas contributors accountable for the impacts of climate change that their emissions have caused.  

The Council notes that the climate crisis is “a consequence of the historical impact of the patterns of consumption and industrialisation by what are now the wealthiest so-called ‘developed’ nations in the world.” To demonstrate accountability, they must support those countries most affected by climate change’s adverse impacts through climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity building. They should also comply with the global commitments to keep their own carbon footprint in check. 

COP28 has been the ideal occasion in which to demonstrate this accountability.  Decisions at COP28 must include doubling adaptation finance and operationalising the loss and damage fund.  All interventions should uphold and respect human rights. Vulnerable communities must be first in line to access funds that will help them adapt and rebuild sustainably. Wealthy countries can, and must, demonstrate their accountability through just financing of these funds, and by reducing their own emissions exponentially. 

The National Council of Churches in the Philippines is a member of ACT Alliance.

COP28 Blog:  #AnticipatoryAction for the climate crisis

By Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe (DKH)

Reduced impact of hazards when applying anticipatory action. Graphic: Centre for Humanitarian Data.

 Loss and damage can be understood as the negative impact of climate change that occurs despite, or in the absence of, climate change mitigation and adaptation measures. Limits to adaptation are the point at which adaptive responses cease to provide protection against climate impacts. When an adaptation limit is reached, loss and damage will escalate as adaptation is no longer able to reduce negative impacts. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has also warned that even if effective actions to limit global temperature increase to 1.5°C were put in place, loss and damage stemming from climate change are not preventable, as there is a “locked-in” level of warming that already leads to unavoidable consequences. 

United Nations Early Warning for All initiative

Climate, weather and water-related extremes have led to 15 times more deadly hazards for people in Africa, South Asia, South and Central America, and small island states. Over the last 50 years, nearly 70 percent of all deaths from climate-related disasters have occurred in the 46 poorest countries. This initiative aims to enhance collaboration and accelerated action to address gaps and deliver people-centered, end-to-end multi-hazard early warning systems that leave no one behind. 

Getting Ahead of Disasters Charter: One of the biggest obstacles preventing the conversion of early warnings into effective early and anticipatory action is the lack of pre-arranged financial resources. Over 98% of crisis financing is still arranged after disasters strike – despite reliable science to predict them. Evidence from the field suggests that twice as many vulnerable persons can be served at the same cost by deploying resources pre-disaster.  

Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe’s work on locally led anticipatory action 

Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe has a focus throughout our programming on humanitarian disaster risk reduction and tackling the climate crisis. One key approach we have developed is Locally led Anticipatory Action – applied to localize and scale up early warning and early action. We have developed a Guide & Toolkit on this topic in collaboration with our local partners and the Global Network of civil society actors for Disaster Reduction (GNDR).  

We are also supporting our local partners, especially those from the Global South, to establish working groups on locally led anticipatory action, with the Anticipation Hub and ACT Alliance, to influence policies and shape fully and predictably financed, scaled-up early action. 

A call for collective action 

Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe joins our sister organization Brot für die Welt in calling to increase the contribution for start-up financing to the #LossAndDamage fund to one billion euros. We also join Climate Alliance Germany and VENRO in the call for the German Government to advocate for a robust and measurable global adaptation target and to implement the Principles for Locally led Adaptation. We also endorse the ICVA, Joint call on Loss and Damage Fund to empower communities with skills and resources to prepare, respond and recover from climate impacts, including through timely, flexible, predictable, multi-year funding support for both rapid-onset and slow-onset impacts. 

Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe encourages our local partners and other allies to join us in addressing climate change loss and damage by endorsing, making commitments, and promoting the following charter and calls to action. 

Diakonie Katastrophenhilfe is a partner of both the Risk-informed early action Partnership (REAP) and the Anticipation Hub, and a member of GNDR and ACT Alliance. 

 

Press conference at COP28: Voices of faith call for justice in COP28 decisions and actions

10 December 2023

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA ADVISORY

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Voices of faith share their calls to world leaders for justice in negotiations on topics such as fossil fuel transition, climate finance, loss and damage, human rights, and GST. Faith members, involved in climate advocacy, bring a unique perspective grounded in the moral call to climate change. This perspective influences their technical experience and their work with communities on the frontlines of the climate emergency.

85% of the world’s population ascribe to a faith tradition. Members of these faith communities work at the local, regional, national, and international levels to pursue climate justice. The Interfaith Liaison Committee brings together faith constituencies working to achieve climate justice to raise their voices together and share their stories from their traditions and experiences around the world..

What: Call for justice in GST, human rights, just transition, climate finance, Loss & Damage, Indigenous justice, and intergenerational justice.

Who: 

Lindsey Fielder Cook, Representative for the Human Impacts of Climate Change, Quaker United Nations Office, Gernamy
Mattias Søderberg, co-chair ACT Alliance Climate Justice Group, DanChurch Aid, Denmark
Maua Maro, youth climate activist, Lutheran World Federation, Kenya
Shantanu Mandal, youth climate activist, Brahma Kumaris, India
Elena Cedillo, co-chair ACT Alliance Climate Justice Group, Lutheran World Federation, Switzerland
Faith Sebwa, 12 years old, student of class VI, hearing impaired, Kenya
Rev. Henrik Grape, Senior advisor on Care for Creation, Sustainability, and Climate Justice for the World Council of Churches – Moderator

Where: Press Conference Room 2 Zone B6 building 77 and online

When: Monday, December 11, 2023 14:30-15:00 Dubai time

Why: Faith communities bring concrete experiences of the impact of climate change on the most vulnerable people, including women and girls in all their diversity and people on the move, who have done the least to cause climate change and are facing the brunt of its impacts. Faith groups are on the front lines, responding to climate change through mitigation, disaster risk reduction, adaptation, and more.

# # # # #

MEDIA CONTACT
Simon Chambers- WhatsApp: +1-416-435-0972, Email: simon.chambers@actalliance.org
Director of Communications, ACT Alliance

Marking 75th Anniversary of the Human Rights Declaration

Gender Justice and Civic Space are two sides of the same Coin 

Roosa Rantala, Advisor for Human Rights and Advocacy, Felm 

Many of us know the background; the achievements regarding gender justice made over the decades have been driven back in many ways, from sexual and reproductive rights to the realization of the rights of sexual and gender minorities.  

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has expressed his worry that gender equality is 300 years away – and the target is growing more distant. Discriminatory actions hinder countries’ possibilities of achieving sustainable development goals: when the world is not on the right track to achieve gender equality, it becomes impossible to overcome other development challenges. 

Women are lead actors in enhancing positive development and sustainable peace, emphasised  UN special rapporteur Clément Nyaletsossi Voule in his video contribute to our Side Event for the 54th session of the Human Rights Council. The- Side Event was organized in cooperation with UN Women, UNFPA, Lutheran World Federation, ACT Alliance, the World Council of Churches and the Permanent Mission of Denmark to the UN. The organizers also included a large number of non-governmental organizations from around Europe: Act Church of Sweden, Bread for the World DanishChurchAid, Felm and Swiss Church Aid HEKS/EPER.   

All organizers had discovered through their own work that to achieve gender justice, the civic space should be secured and promoted. The Head of Human Rights and Development at the UN Women Geneva Office, Adriana Quiñones, gave the opening speech and aptly summed up that in fact the issues are two sides of the same coin: gender justice cannot be realized without civic space and vice versa. 

The side event attracted many participants, including 11 state representatives, who spoke loudly of the importance of the subject, and the reach of our networks. To fulfill gender justice and to promote women’s human rights, everyone from the private and public sector to states and civil society actors are needed, as the panelist jointly concluded. One of reasons emphasizing the need for collaborative measures is that the global anti-gender movement takes diverse forms in varying arenas, also within UN systems. 

The discussion revealed how, according to a survey carried out by DCA1, the online harassment of women is a significant human rights problem and a threat to democracy. Although the internet offers great opportunities for promoting women’s rights, at the same time women human rights defenders face serious harassment and threats, which in the worst case can silence the women completely. Paradoxically, the harassment tends to be worst when women human rights defenders have successfully promoted gender justice. 

And it doesn’t take long to destroy the progress made – as it happened in Brazil during a very short period. Attacks on gender justice made by those using the highest political power in the country put the persons promoting human rights in a risky position. After the distributive measures and change in political power, the society faces challenges to rebuild the dialogue and continue the development that had progressed in a good direction before the interruption. 

The discussion during the side event underlined that faith-based actors play a key role as promoters of gender justice. For example, religious actors and leaders have significant opportunities to raise awareness of online harassment and advocate for binding legislation to solve the problem and to replace the current dysfunctional ad hoc solutions of online platforms. UNFPA emphasized the significant role of faith-based organizations providing sexual and reproductive services. During the discussion, it was found that religious spaces are also potential places for having difficult conversations about, for example, toxic masculinity. 

The discussion also reminded us of the UN’s role in promoting and protecting civic space. Since CSO’s have only limited opportunities to participate in meetings in Geneva or New York, it would be worthwhile to explore online participation opportunities to a greater extent. If participation on the spot is possible, a larger number of CSO participants should be offered accreditations entitling them to participate in the dialogues. These methods would improve civil society actors’ possibilities to use UN mechanisms and form alliances with each other. 

The side event offered an excellent example of alliances and possibilities of cooperation. The topic of the side event touched many actors in many ways. After the one-hour event, the conversation continued lively during the coffee break. There are many reasons for this and one of the most important is money: inequality is expensive.

A World Bank study has estimated that for example limited education opportunities for girls and barriers to completing 12 years of education cost between 15 trillion to 30 trillion US dollars to countries in loss of productivity and earnings. Educated women tend to be informed about nutrition and healthcare, have fewer children, marry at a later age, are more likely to participate in formal labor market and earn higher incomes.  

The states simply cannot afford such a waste of money. Active promotion of gender justice and support for this work are key factors in solving all development challenges. 

Read the pledge that ACT members have submitted to promote civic space, counter backlashes on gender equality, and defend human rights, in national, regional, and global spaces.

Download the pledge

 

COP28 Blog: Loss and damage in Zambia

By Rev. Chali Mfuta, United Church of Zambia

The climate crisis has had a negative impact on communities in countries in the Global South which do not have the financial capacity

to mitigate the effects. Earlier this year, on January 22, a tropical storm known as Cyclone Anna hit Madagascar, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia. It caused death, destruction and power outages due to the heavy rains. In the southern part of Zambia, Namwala and Monze districts were very affected by these floods. It really is sad to see the damages, the loss, and the risks that people were exposed to and the mitigation for the same.  

There was severe damage to all the crops as they were submerged in flood waters. Livestock and houses were swept away. This led to hunger in the communities which experienced these losses, making it hard for children, pregnant women and the elderly to survive. 

In the communities of Nanwala and Monze alone, 32,448 households were displaced, leaving a number of people homeless. Everything was submerged in the water so that the affected people had to be airlifted from higher places or the small islands where they had sought refuge.  

The risk of not having shelter, access to clean water and health facilities for vulnerable groups such as the elderly, children and the physically challenged led to fear of violation, abuse, and neglect. Permanent structures for shelter and health and safety services were urgently needed, as was nutrition.  

Assistance came from different faith-based organizations, the Red Cross, the Zambian police force, the Ministry of Health and the government’s Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit. They provided items such as food, toiletries, clothes, tents and medicine, and even spiritual support.  

When reaching out to the community, the priority must be affected households and families. The challenge is the rehabilitation and reconstruction of damaged or destroyed facilities including houses, schools, shops, markets, health facilities and police stations. COP28 is an opportunity to increase funding for these kinds of disasters which affect the most vulnerable communities. The type of funding should be grants and not loans. 

The funds should be easily accessible in order to mitigate the disasters in good time to avoid losing lives. 

As we work towards the climate justice the earth needs, let us also put in place policies and funding that will effectively respond to the damage and loss caused by climate change.  

Rev. Chali Mfuta of the United Church of Zambia serves as minister in Livingstone, Zambia. She is attending COP28 virtually as part of The United Church of Canada delegation. Chali witnessed first-hand the devastating impacts of Cyclone Ana and is a strong climate justice advocate. 

 

 

Join our network in 127 countries

BECOME A MEMBER