PRE-COP 26 MEETING: ENHANCING THE ENGAGEMENT OF CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS (CSOs) IN THE UNFCCC PROCESSES
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On 15th and 16th September 2021, the Tanzania Natural Resource Forum (TNRF) in collaboration with Forum on Climate Change (Forum CC), Climate Action Network Tanzania (CAN), and PINGOs Forum, organized the Pre - UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 meeting at Morogoro Hotel in Morogoro. The two days meeting titled “Enhancing the Participation and Engagement of Civil Society (CSO) groups in United Nations Framework on Climate Change Convention (UNFCCC) processes” based on the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement.
The meeting brought together local community members such as hunters and gatherers, pastoralists through local, national, and international CSOs dealing with climate change issues and negotiations. Representatives from various embassies in Tanzania shared presentations and discussed key issues to be negotiated at COP 26 which is to be held in Glasgow, United Kingdom, from 31 October – 12 November 2021.
In the welcome note TNRF Executive Director, Mr. Zakaria Faustin called upon the participant's collaboration to Pre-COP 26 meeting to discuss issues, challenges, and concerns that focus on how to address climate change vulnerability which is linked to political and policy commitments from local, national, regional and international bodies.
The meeting was officiated by Mr. Albert Msando, Morogoro District Commissioner on behalf of the Morogoro Regional Administration Secretary. The District Commissioner thanked the organizers as he pointed out that, grassroots level communities are not aware of the government efforts in place. He as well asked the participants to extend efforts in translating different UNFCCC decisions and commitments for parties to implement from English to Kiswahili language to improve the understanding of communities who do not speak other languages. He told participants that climate change is real as there are events such as drought, frequent floods, and water quantity and quality. He acknowledged that the government is happy with the approach used by CSOs that complements the government effort.
Sarah Ngoi, a forum CC Executive Director and Fazal Issa representative of the embassy of Ireland both called upon actors for joint action to develop CSOs position paper for their contribution into COP 26 meeting discussions which will take place in Glasgow, this year. They jointly said that the climate change impacts which were debated within different dialogues have now been realized by both the governments and non-governmental actors. The temperature rise, floods, and climate variability are obvious. We all, therefore, want to prepare a statement that will be presented in the upcoming Cop 26. They also called upon active participation within this meeting for better documentation of issues that are going to be presented.
In the keynote speech, Mr. David Concar, the British High Commissioner emphasized that climate change is real and its impacts are already visible such as rise in temperature, sea level, prolonged drought, and frequent floods. The pre- COP 26 meeting is a flagship and an opportunity for Tanzania CSOs, the private sector, and the government to contribute in the upcoming meeting in key areas of climate change adaptation, mitigation, collaboration, and climate financing. It is also an opportunity for CSOs to share their thoughts, and support the government efforts to close the gap on what they promised from previous COPs and what is implemented. The meeting prepared CSOs COP 26 position paper that will then be discussed jointly and agreed by the government for the upcoming COP 26.