One of the key issues that was discussed during the ACT Secretariat meetings in Athens, Greece at the beginning of February was migration and displacement.  As one of the key thematics of the ACT global strategy, migration and displacement is an area of focus for many members around the world, from North America to Asia, Africa to MENA, and Latin America to Europe.

While in Athens, ACT’s General Secretary, Rudelmar Bueno de Faria, met with His Beatitude, Archbishop Ieronymos II, and with His Emminence, Metropolitan Gabriel of the Greek Orthodox Church.  The conversation with both leaders involved the issue of migration.

“The situation of migrants and refugees in Greece is indicative of the complexity of migration issues globally, and the need for better policies and support of those living in tents in ‘hot spots’—sites created to quickly process migrants seeking entry into Greece, is crystal clear,” said de Faria.

Metropolitan Gabriel spoke of the vital role the issue of migration plays for the church in Greece.  “We must act now on this issue.  We have engaged in humanitarian response for years, and we will continue to do so.  But it is the time for advocacy now.  This is a global issue of concern to every country, every person.”

ACT members have responded to the needs of migrants since 2015 through members of the ACT Europe Forum, and through Apostoli, the Archdiocese’s agency for Mission.

The ACT Secretariat devoted a session to discussing the migration situation in Greece, as well as another talking about global issues related to migration and displacement.

“I’m very proud of the work of the Church of Greece in responding to the migration and refugee crisis.  ACT is ready to stand alongside the Church in its call to act now,” concluded de Faria.

In response to the Middle East plan released last Tuesday by the US President Donald Trump

The ACT Alliance, through its Palestine Forum, the largest coalition of Protestant and Orthodox churches and church-related organizations engaged in humanitarian, development and advocacy work, calls upon the international community to categorically reject Trump’s “Peace to Prosperity” plan and to uphold their commitments to international law and multilateral cooperation as the only way to safeguard security and ensure lasting peace.

On Tuesday January 28, 2020 US President Donald Trump unveiled a “Peace to Prosperity” Plan, claiming that it aims, according to the US administration, to improve the lives of Palestinians and Israeli people.

ACT Alliance condemns the US administration’s proposal – consistent with US policy shifts we have witnessed over the past years – as a blatant breach of international law, and we reiterate that any solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict must be negotiated and accepted by both sides. The U.S. administration reaffirmed once again its recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, approved the annexations of the Israeli settlements in the West Bank, the Jordan Valley and the northern Dead Sea and reaffirmed its recognition of the Golan Heights. In other words, the U.S. policy encourages annexation and exacerbates human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt) and the Golan Heights.

Israeli authorities have been engaged in incremental, de facto annexation since it occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, in 1967. According to the Fourth Geneva Convention, an occupier may not transfer its population to the territories it occupies. Therefore, any plans to annex parts of the occupied territories are illegal and unacceptable. The extension of Israeli sovereignty to the West Bank, or even parts of it, would be an ultimate blow to the two-state solution and risks triggering irreversible effect on peace prospects in the region.

Trump’s plan also disregards the Palestinian People’s right of return and right to self- determination.It is essential that any peace agreement includes a just resolution to the question of Palestinian refugees.

The struggle for indigenous rights extends to Palestine, indigenous peoples around the world share a similar experience to the Palestinian struggle for their rights. The Palestinian land includes open-air prisons and territories occupied militarily and administratively by Israel through a complex matrix of control. Checkpoints, illegal land expropriation and home demolitions are among other colonial and apartheid-style policies that have turned Israeli’s illegal actions into a bureaucratic process.

ACT Alliance members are deeply concerned about the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territories(oPt), and we call upon the international community to:

● Firmly reject the U.S. “Peace to Prosperity” plan as a viable solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and any implication based on this plan.
● Ensure that the state of Israel respects International Human Rights Law (IHRL) and International Humanitarian law (IHL) and hold Israel accountable for its ongoing annexation policies.
● Take immediate action to lift the blockade on Gaza and end the illegal occupation to reduce human suffering in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
● Ensure sufficient funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) and increase support to East Jerusalem hospitals and other humanitarian programs given the severe cuts in U.S. funding for the West Bank and Gaza.

Delivered by Christian Wolff, Programme manager migration and displacement

Thank you, Chair.

ACT Alliance is proud to support the Clean Energy Challenge mentioned earlier, and we are listed among the initial group of supporters.

We are grateful for the interesting and thought provoking contributions from the panelists earlier, and would like to stress two particular aspects that are of crucial importance from our perspective.

One is the absolute necessity to work towards renewable energy, and to get out of the cycle of producing carbon as we access energy – in any setting, including during emergencies. For us, this is part and parcel of achieving climate justice in the context of the need for raising our collective ambition to implement the Paris Agreement.

Secondly, and this is an aspect which was a bit neglected on the panel – we would like to stress the need to keep working for alternatives to camps. Our efforts to provide access to renewable energy to refugees should not be constricted by delivering these solutions in the relatively more convenient setting of a camp, but rather, our collective ambition should be to enable both refugees and host communities alike to access such energy. This would go a long way not only towards supporting SDGs 7 and 13, but would also support the whole of society approach  promoted by the Global Compact on Refugees and make it easier for refugees to effectively access all of their rights, including but not limited to, the right to access energy in a sustainable way.

There are over 70 million displaced people in the world today, with numbers steadily increasing each year. More than two thirds of them never have a chance to leave their own countries, adding to the ranks of internally displaced persons. Out of all those displaced, over 84% are being hosted in countries of the Global South. Not only are the numbers of displaced people increasing, so is the average duration of their displacement, which now stands at 17 years. The intractable nature of conflicts is producing increasingly protracted situations of displacement around the globe, without durable solutions in sight for those affected. 

On 19^th September 2016, the UN General Assembly adopted the New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants (NYD), which mandated member states to develop a Global Compact on Refugees (GCR) and a Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration (GCM). These two agreements were officially adopted by the General Assembly at the end of 2018. Although formally non-binding instruments, the two  Compacts offer important frameworks for enhancing international cooperation among states and for increasing the availability of protection and access to rights for refugees and migrants.

The GCR attempts to strengthen the concept of responsibility sharing among states for the plight of refugees through its four main objectives, i.e. easing pressures on host countries; building self-reliance of refugees; expanding refugees´ access to third countries through resettlement and other pathways; and supporting conditions for voluntary return.

In order to help implement their commitments under the GCR, member states agreed to create a Global Refugee Forum (GRF), to be held at highest government level every four years. The first ever GRF is taking place this year in Geneva on 17-18 December, starting with side events on the 16.

States and other stakeholders, including civil society and the private sector, prepared for the GRF by organising a number of pledges to improve refugee protection under six themes:

• Burden- & responsibility-sharing
• Education
• Jobs and livelihoods
• Protection capacity
• Solutions
• Energy & infrastructure

Stakeholders were encouraged to engage in joint pledging, a process that is still underway and is expected to be further enhanced by the activities at the GRF, as well as during the follow-up period. Many states and organisations will announce their pledges, which can include material and/or organisational support in a variety of ways, at the Forum this week. 

While many ACT members have each been preparing their own pledges ACT Alliance has decided to join different initiatives and pledges.

For instance, together with Act for Peace, Act Alliance made a pledge to “Strengthen informed refugee decision-making and effective preparedness by refugees and other actors for multiple refugee futures, including durable solutions” in the thematic area of Solutions.

Building upon our programmatic and policy work with existing partners, including refugee-led organisations, and members across diverse contexts, this pledge aims to strengthen informed refugee decision-makingand more effective preparedness, by refugees and other actors, for multiple refugee futures, including durable solutions. Amongst other elements, this will include:

• Strengthening age, gender, and diversity (AGD)-responsiveness, in particular our focus upon women’s empowerment and gender equity, in our programming, policy and advocacy work in this area;
• Ensuring that the leadership and meaningful participation of refugees is promoted and enabled to the maximum extent in all of our programming, policy and advocacy work in this area; and
• Extending our existing focus upon informed refugee decision making and refugee preparedness for safe and dignified voluntary repatriation and reintegration to include further work on informed refugee decision making and diverse actor preparedness for all durable solutions and ‘alternative pathways’
• We will dedicate financial, technical and other resources to deliver this pledge and will seek proactively to broaden the base of support for innovation, replication and scaling in this area
• We will develop and report against indicators, and will share lessons learned.

Two weeks of intense climate negotiations in Madrid have ended. The summit went over time as rich countries adamantly refused to give in to the demands from poor countries for urgent action to address climate losses, additional finances, and higher ambition in the reduction of emissions. The agreement covers a number of important topics, which will guide governments in their forthcoming work to tackle the climate emergency.

An overall message from the summit in Madrid, was sent to all governments. In 2020 they are all required to submit new national climate plans (NDCs). Here in Madrid, it was agreed that,in order to send a signal, governments are encouraged to scale up ambition. The head of the ACT Alliance delegation, Mattias Söderberg, says “We have a climate emergency, and the need for action is urgent. All parties should now return home, and consider how they can scale up their ambition, when they draft their new plans. Parties should keep in mind that the Paris Agreement refers to the need to limit global temperature raise to 1.5 degrees, and that urgent action is needed.”  

The agreement in Madrid acknowledged the need to mobilize support and finance for people and communities facing loss and damage due to the effects of climate change. However, with weak wording, the actual effect is still uncertain. Isaiah Toroitich, ACT Alliance’s Head of Advocacy and Development Policy, says, “We are happy that the need for loss and damage finance has finally been acknowledged, and agreed, and now we hope all developed countries will deliver on the call to mobilize support. Poor and vulnerable people around the world are already suffering the effects of climate change, and we must act now to support them.“

Toroitich continues, “However, we are also concerned, as there is no promise the support will be new, or additional compared to existing commitments. There is therefore a big risk that loss and damage finance, will be taken from existing climate, development and humanitarian funds, meaning that there only will be a change of labels. What we need is action, not a desk-exercise moving funds between different boxes.  We need new finance, above and beyond already existing money.  Without it, we are just cutting the same cake into smaller slices.”

The summit in Madrid has been difficult, and parties have been far apart on several topics. That includes climate finance, where parties ended with a conclusion that they could not agree. Important decisions were therefore pushed forward to 2020. Söderberg comments, “Poor and vulnerable communities need support now, and important decision about climate finance should not be delayed. It is a waste of time and money to gather finance negotiators from all over the world, and to spend two weeks of talks, and to only conclude that talks should continue. “

Fortunately, there was also good news from Madrid. A Gender Action Plan was adopted, with clear references to human rights, and the need for allocation of resources, for gender action. Toroitich comments, “We are happy there could be a good agreement about gender. Gender justice must be addressed in all actions, and it is good, that there is a plan to take this work forward.”

For further comment, please contact:

Mattias Söderberg +45 29 70 06 09, msd@dca.dk
Head of Delegation, ACT Alliance

Isaiah Toroitich +41 79 825 78 99, Isaiah.toroitich@actalliance.org
Head of advocacy and development policy, ACT Alliance

Simon Chambers +1 416 435 0972, simon.chambers@actalliance.org
Director of communications, ACT Alliance

XXX

ACT Alliance and member Bread for the World hosted a joined side event at COP25 with the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations, and the German Development Institute.

The side event titled Breaking new ground: Advancing Loss and Damage governance and finance mechanisms brought together negotiators, civil society, academia and others to explore pathways to advance Loss and Damage governance and finance mechanisms.

The event was moderated by Isaiah Toroitich ACT’s Head of Advocacy and Development Policy who connected the realities of loss and damage as witnessed by ACT members around the world to the ongoing negotiations in Madrid. Toroitich noted the need to strengthen the conceptual understanding of loss and damage in the climate talks and to mobilise finance accordingly.

Lola Vallejo, Climate Programme Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations explored potential ways forward for the Warsaw International Mechanism on Loss and Damage. Vallejo noted that while there has been progress on understanding the concept of loss and damage and its connections to emissions and human displacement, there is a lack of understanding on whether comprehensive risk management approaches should plan for a two or four-degree world.

While there has been much discussion at COP25 on the need to mobilise support for loss and damage, there is no agreement on the mechanism under which this finance should be mobilised, these varying views were further explored by the panelists.

Richard J.T. Klein, Director of Science and Innovation at the Global Center of Adaptation and Senior Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute delivered the keynote address. Klein affirmed the need for financial support for developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to climate impacts in order to address loss and damage, and emphasised that he does not believe that a separate financial mechanism on loss and damage is necessary. “What I think is a more fruitful and more pragmatic way to increase funding available for loss and damage is to keep pushing the need to upscale adaptation finance in the broadest sense,” he said.

Sabine Minninger, Climate Change Policy Advisor from Bread for the World shared a different view, “we need a standalone fund for loss and damage because it is not adaptation, and it cannot be funded by the already limited funds that are available for adaptation.” Minninger expressed that finance for loss and damage should be additional to what is already available for adaptation, mitigation and humanitarian response.

“Adaptation is four times cheaper than loss and damage. Developing countries will face costs of up to USD 400 billion annually by 2030 which is anticipated to increase to USD 1.6 trillion annually by 2050 if we continue on a 3-degree pathway of global warming,” said Minninger.

Heike Henn, Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (Germany) agreed with Minninger and Klein on the need for climate finance and added that the impacts of climate change also lead to trauma and economic losses and insecurities.

Henn expressed that while finance is important, it is not all that will be needed to address loss and damage. “Finance must come together with capacity building, ownership, political will, strategies, and more to make an impact on the ground.”

While finance for loss and damage is a key area of concern for ACT Alliance and partners around the world, it is also important to strengthen governance on loss and damage in order to tap into the resources of various actors at all levels.

Idil Boran, Associate Professor at York University and Associate Researcher at the German Development Institute identified four elements that would be necessary for effective Loss and Damage governance, noting that it should be:

1. Inclusive and responsive and should recognise loss and damage initiatives taking place at the local level.
2. Catalytic to create an enabling environment for community-based actions to inspire other actors and actions.
3. Collaborative and participatory to encourage interlinkages with various frameworks including the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and other Rio Conventions.
4. Transparent so that there is clear data in order to identify gaps that should be responded to.

ACT Alliance will continue to advocate for new and additional finance for loss and damage and for an effective governance system. ACT will also continue to work with its members around the world to respond to the urgent needs of climate-vulnerable communities that are already experiencing losses and damages.

Learn to do good; seek good, correct oppression; bring justice… Isaiah 1:17

After two weeks of intense negotiations at COP25, there are only hours left before the meeting ends. What is currently on the table cannot save communities and creation from the perils of climate change.

Rich countries negotiating today must answer the call for urgent and bold action, and remember the needs and rights of the people on the margins of society, who are facing the brunt of the effects of climate change around the world.

“Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your elders shall dream dreams, and your young people shall see visions,” says the prophet Joel. We have heard the voices of the youth, Indigenous Peoples, women, vulnerable communities crying for justice. They see the reality in the world.  They call for action. It must come now.

“The world and all in it is supported by a climate system whose integrity is critical for survival,” says Joy Kennedy, a senior from Canada. “We have heard the voices of affected communities, and those of scientists calling for urgent action. We must act now!”

“What you are doing here is sinful, immoral, unethical,” says Jo Mountford, an activist from the UK, “We hope you will decide to act, to provide what the world is calling out for- climate justice.”

“Doesn’t it matter to you that people are hungry, that island states are sinking, that cities will be lost?” asks Erik Bohm, a Swedish youth.  “How can you sit here in COP discussing commas and adjournments when people are dying?”

“The ongoing climate talks in Madrid should act in ways that demonstrate commitment to protecting the world from adverse climate change and elevate climate action,” says Julius Mbatia, a youth from Christian Aid in Kenya.  “Responding to the needs of the poor, women, Indigenous Peoples, marginalized, youth, and vulnerable communities is a matter of urgency that does not entertain, in any way, delays that cause slow progress in putting in place structures and systems to act on climate change.” 

“An acceptable outcome must include human rights, gender justice, effective action on loss and damage, and protection for future generations.  None of this is possible without enough finance,” states Ariel Chavez, an old man from Bolivia.

“What bothers me is that countries like New Zealand, Canada, the European Union that could do better are not stepping up.  Others, like Australia, and the United States are standing in the way of a just outcome,” says Isaiah Toroitich, a Kenyan with ACT Alliance.

December 13, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA ADVISORY

TEXT: ACT Alliance, the Lutheran World Federation, the World Council of Churches, and Islamic Relief, will join with other faith, civil society, and indigenous groups at COP25 to hold a vigil from 14h15 – 15h00 at the entrance to COP25.

Through song, prayer, and personal stories, participants in the vigil representing different regions and groups will call on parties to ensure the agreements being made in the final hours of COP25 provide climate justice for those most impacted by climate change. There will be reflections on COP25, laments for damage already being caused by climate change and inaction on climate change, and expressions of hope for 2020 and COP26.

Bishop Philip Huggins from the Anglican Church of Australia will be one of the speakers. He said “Our resolve now is even stronger. The frustrations of this COP process, the intransigence of some, will not define our future. Our vigil will end as we hold hands and share what climate justice needs now. All are welcome as we try to complete this COP well, with each other’s help.”

Who:  Faith leaders, youth from churches, multifaith climate justice activists, indigenous groups

Where: Just past the badge scan at the entrance, between buildings 2 and 4.

When: Friday, December 13, 2019 at 14h15.

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

Arni Svanur Danielsson +41 78 929 9686 , arni.danielsson@lutheranworld.org
Head of Communication, Lutheran World Federation

Marcelo Schneider +55 51 99 998 55 15, Marcelo.Schneider@wcc-coe.org
Communications Officer, World Council of Churches

Jonaid Jilani, +447872403534  jonaid.jilani@islamic-relief.org.uk
Press and PR Manager, Islamic Relief

It is the second and final Thursday of the UN Climate Talks of COP25 in Madrid and the negotiations are not yet at the point that is necessary to deliver ambitious results. One of the increasingly contentious topics is climate finance. It is addressed in a number of the negotiation streams in relation to Long-Term Finance, the Green Climate Fund, Reporting on climate finance, Loss and Damage finance and support for the implementation of the Gender Action Plan.

“Climate finance continues to be a difficult topic in these talks. Parties should remember that climate action will not be possible unless climate finance is made available and is accessible. We cannot accept another agreement where support to developing countries remains merely a wishful possibility,” says Mattias Söderberg, head of ACT Alliance’s delegation to COP25.

All parties are expected to develop ambitious national climate pledges (NDCs) and announce them in 2020; this needs to be formally mandated at this COP. These plans are important as they will outline how the world will handle the rapidly growing climate emergency. However, for poor and vulnerable countries, their plans can only be implemented if they receive adequate support.

Developing countries are eager to take climate action and to build their resilience while transitioning towards low carbon development. It is therefore important that climate finance is scaled up, made predictable, accessible and is delivered by developed country parties.

It should be acknowledged that there are already climate finance flows going to developing countries, however, there are numerous examples of climate finance being used for projects that are not necessarily related to climate change in developing countries.

“A lack of agreement about what climate finance is and what it can be used for challenges the trust amongst parties in these talks. What we have seen is that developed countries claim that they offer support, while developing countries question where the money is. Without trust, the talks on climate finance will not be solved,” says Mattias.

Developed countries must ensure that their support is transparent and adequate and that it facilitates timely climate action where it is needed most.

The majority of existing climate finance is delivered to mitigation and the rest to adaptation. However, currently, there is no support allocated for loss and damage, making this a hot topic at COP25. Developing countries are calling for loss and damage finance and support for those who are most affected by cyclones, droughts and floods and other climate impacts.

“Loss and damage finance is a necessity and it should not be channelled from finance for adaptation or mitigation. Finance for loss and damage needs to be additional, new and predictable to allow countries to plan and respond effectively to the climate crisis,” says Julius Mbatia of ACT member Christian Aid and ACT Kenya Forum.

“Innovative sources of finance are needed to close the existing loss and damage finance gap. It is of utmost importance that loss and damage is given the priority that it deserves here at COP25,” says Julius.

“It makes no sense to have a debate where parties accept that loss and damage should be addressed, yet no support is made available. This summit should deliver a clear commitment on adequate support for those most in need, parties must promise to not leave anyone behind,” concludes Mattias.

Mattias Söderberg +45 29 70 06 09, msd@dca.dk
Head of Delegation, ACT Alliance

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

The ACT Alliance is a global network of churches and church-based agencies that does humanitarian response, sustainable development, and advocacy work.  ACT is made up of 156 members working in over 125 countries.

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