08/12/2025
A4R is honoured to bring our voice, evidence, and leadership into the halls of UNEA-7. Today the 8th of December 2025 marks the official opening of UNEA-7, where Member States, civil society, Indigenous peoples, youth, and experts from all walks of life gather to advance the global commitments toward environmental protection and a resilient planet. Africa4Resilience joins this Assembly with a deep sense of responsibility and urgency guided by the lived realities of African communities on the frontlines of climate and environmental changes.
We welcome the progress made at the Open-Ended Committee of Permanent Representatives (OECPR-7), where draft resolutions under the clusters of Nature & Climate, Governance & Law, Circularity & Pollution, and Strategic budgetary matters have now been formally transmitted to UNEA-7. Many of these resolutions hold direct implications for Africa’s resilience agenda particularly those relating to wildfire management, coral reef resilience, Indigenous and youth participation, Karst ecosystems, climate-resilient food systems, chemicals, antimicrobial resistance, and environmental governance.
As A4R, we underscore the often faintly painted reality that Africa’s communities are not just vulnerable but also innovators, custodians of knowledge, and drivers of resilience. For this reason, we stand ready to amplify community rooted resilience, local expertise, and Indigenous knowledge throughout UNEA-7. We therefore call upon UNEA-7 to:
I. Place farmers, Indigenous peoples, youth, and local innovators at the centre of environmental and climate decisions.
II. Strengthen nature based and community led solutions as core pillars of global resilience.
III. Expand direct financing for local CSOs, community groups, and frontline actors.
IV. Elevate intergenerational leadership, especially youth participation, in environmental governance.
V. Commit to strong, coherent, and inclusive environmental governance frameworks that protect people and ecosystems.
VI. Acknowledge the critical role of faith and religious leaders in building resilience at the local community level.
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