AfDB To Support Africa’s Pavilion At COP15 In Côte d’Ivoire

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Ahead of the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) holding from 9 to 20 May in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has announced that it will support the Africa Pavilion during the event.

The Pavilion will provide a space for Africa to facilitate networking amongst environmentalists, the myriad of organizations, and individuals who endeavor to reduce social and economic inequalities associated with desertification and land degradation; and to ensure that concerns unique to Africa’s land-based resources and people are addressed, and African voices are heard.

The Bank, according to a statement published its website, will also host several events in hybrid format and will participate in several events, including the high-level opening ceremony.

The Heads of States and Governments Summit will be opened by a ceremonial event on the 9th of May followed by a presidential dialogue organized by the Ivorian Government under the auspices of President Alassane Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire, with a focus on drought and land restoration.

This COP, which takes place just before the COP27 on climate, is part of a rising momentum for the agenda on People and Nature. The COP15 theme, “Land. Life. Legacy: From scarcity to prosperity, according to the organisers, is a call to action to ensure land, the lifeline on this planet, continues to benefit present and future generations”.

COP15 will bring together leaders from government, the private sector, civil society, and other key stakeholders from around the world to drive progress in the future sustainable management of land, one of our most precious natural assets.

COP15 is a key moment in the fight against desertification, land degradation and drought. Forty-five percent of Africa consists of dry lands, and three-quarters of productive land is degraded. Fighting land degradation and desertification and mitigating the effects of drought are needed for economic growth and social progress.

The summit will build on the Great Green Wall agenda and offer a concrete response to the interconnected challenges of land degradation, climate change and biodiversity loss as we step into the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.

The launch of the Abidjan Legacy Programme will also be a key moment of this COP15. The Programme aims to boost long-term environmental sustainability across major value chains while protecting and restoring forests and lands and improving communities’ resilience to climate change in Côte d’Ivoire. The Bank, through

its agricultural projects in the pipeline, will contribute to the Legacy programme.