Africa Adaptation Initiative High Level meeting

24 September 2018. New York. The Africa Adaptation Initiative High Level meeting co-hosted by the Africa Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) attracted over 80 High-level representatives from national governments, multilateral institutions, scientific bodies and global climate change bodies such as UNFCCC and leaders such as:

• Mrs Patricia ESPINOSA, Executive Secretary of UNFCCC,
  Mrs. Espinosa highlighted that AAI is a good example of the importance of multilateral cooperation for addressing global challenges and expressed the desire for more “inclusive multilateralism”.
• Mr Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator
  See his Opening remarks
• H.E. Josefa Sacko (see picture) African Union Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture; 
• Pierre GUISLAIN, Deputy President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and many others.

Concept Note
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THEMATIC SESSIONS

1: Africa is progressing in implementing the Paris Agreement 

• Overview of ongoing African Initiatives
  H.E. Mr. Almoustapha Garba, Ministre de l’environnement de la salubrité urbaine et du développement durable, Climate Commission of the Sahel
  H.E. Mme. Arlette Nonault-Soudan, Ministre du Tourisme et de l’Environnement, Climate Commission of the Congo Basin
  Mr. Mohamed Ait Kadi, Président du Conseil Général du Développement Agricole, African Agriculture Adaptation Initiative (AAA)
  H.E. Mr. Mamady Toure, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, representing the Board Chair of the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) 
• A Focus on Adaptation
  Mrs. Kulthoum Omari-Motsumi, Coordinator of the Africa Adaptation Initiative (AAI)
  A presentation of the new AAI discussion paper, informed by key messages of the first Africa State of Adaptation Report (SoAR) and the AAI’s Flagship programmes

 2: Building partnership to raise ambition 

• Statement of partnership on the flagships
  Mr. Mohamed Beavogui, Director General, African Risk Capacity
  Mr. Pierre Guislain, Vice-President, African Development Bank
  Ambassador Mamman Nuhu, Executive Secretary, Lake Chad Basin Commission
  Prof. Mans Nilsson, Executive Director, Stockholm Environment Institute

The Africa Adaptation Initiative (AAI) received strong political and institutional support from Partners at the Partners Roundtable event.

"The AAI is critical for our continent. We know that the vast majority of international climate finance is dedicated to mitigation activities, while the impacts of climate change in Africa, which are already being felt, demand the continent to adapt quickly." H.E. Mr. Vincent Biruta Minister of Environment Rwanda

Several governments such as Germany and the European Union made statements of support for the AAI, and the Government of Rwanda unequivocally stated that“AAI is vital to the survival of the continent’s future”.

Ms. Kulthoum Omari-Motsumi, the Coordinator of the AAI outlined the four flagship programmes to be launched this year, which focus on the four pillars of AAI, namely:

1. enhancing Climate information Services in partnership with the African Development Bank (AfDB); 
2. building the adaptive capacity of communities around the Lake Chad River Basin, through Early Warning Systems, in partnership with the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC); 
3. advancing risk transfer in Africa with the African Risk Capacity 
4. and strengthening knowledge management for adaptation planning in Africa with UNDP.