Road to COP 27

United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Vera Songwe, has briefed Permanent Representatives (PRs) of African Member States in New York on some key undertakings of the Commission in support of the financing and sustainable development needs of African countries.
Songwe said the meeting, held on 7 July, was an opportunity to provide an update on all the work the ECA has been doing with the African Union and Egypt’s COP 27 Presidency, regarding climate change at large and specific issues such as a Just Energy Transition and what that means for Africa. She also highlighted that “Africa is in need of more liquidity and Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) will allow Africa to go from $33.6 billion to $67 billion” and that Africa can also generate additional liquidity through carbon pricing.
The ECA Chief and her team of experts updated the PRs on the Kigali Declaration – the outcome of the Eighth African Regional Forum on Sustainable Development – which comprises the priorities, policy options, and recommendations for Africa to accelerate the implementation of Agenda 2030 and Agenda 2063 at multiple levels.