In a significant move towards addressing the imbalance of representation at global climate talks, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) says it plans to allocate more observer badges for COP29 to organizations from the Global South.
UNFCCC Executive Secretary Simon Stiell made the announcement during his speech at the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN).
Malawi’s National Coordinator for youth network on climate change Dominic Nyasulu said it is a welcome move as local organizations have been lobbying for participation in different sessions when the cop is taking place but it is always difficult because the representation is not adequate.
“it is my hope that the increase in the number of badges will go beyond COP, I hope it will be extended to other sessions such as the Bonn meeting which takes place before COP, otherwise this is a welcome development,” he said.
A Director at Power Shift Africa, a Nairobi-based think tank focused on climate justice. Mohamed Adow praised the decision, noting that for too long, the COP summits have been dominated by delegates from the Global North.
“It’s an example of how too much power at the climate talks has been held by people and organizations based in countries that have caused the climate crisis. Finally, we are getting a fairer distribution of observer badges,” Adow said.
Adow stressed the importance of rectifying this imbalance, pointing out that people in the developing world contribute a fraction of the emissions causing the climate crisis yet suffer the most from its impacts.
Power Shift Africa’s analysis revealed that 50% of the observer badges at COP28 were allocated to participants from Western European and Other States (WEOG), a bloc that includes countries such as the USA, Australia, and Canada. These nations, despite accounting for just 12% of the global population, have historically had a disproportionate presence at the COP conferences.
By Mirriam Kaliza
