The Common market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) has signed a grant agreement with the European Union worth 7.1 million Euros to implement one of the regional components of the Intra-African Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Global Climate Change Alliance (GCCA)+ programme financed by the 11th European Development Fund (EDF).
According to a media statement, this is part of the larger Intra-ACP GCCA+ Programme worth €70 million, to be dispersed among ACP countries and regions. The programme succeeds the Intra-ACP GCCA Programme also funded by EDF from July 2010 to December 2014.
The funding will help increase the resilience of the COMESA member states to climate change and achieve the UN’s sustainable development goals in particular Goal 13 which is “Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts” in order to reduce poverty and promote sustainable development.
The media statement says the programme is expected to improve regional and national adaptation and mitigation responses to climate change challenges faced by COMESA countries at operational, institutional and financial levels.
The programme interventions will also contribute to the conservation of biodiversity by applying ecosystem-based solutions to climate change adaption and disaster risk reduction.
Some of the result areas in the regional component of the Programme include; utilizing the Secretariat’s dedicated operational and institutional capacity to support the needs of Member States in relevant Intra-ACP GCCA+ priority areas, climate change negotiations and implementation of the Paris Agreement.
COMESA will also ensure that regional and national climate change strategies and priorities that contribute to the implementation of the Paris Agreement have been strengthened and supported in their implementation.
This programme will also ensure that strategic dialogue between COMESA countries is strengthened, and negotiation capacity built, to share information and knowledge about climate action with the aim of promoting cooperation between COMESA countries.
The programme will contribute positively to the mitigation and adaptation efforts of COMESA Member States and ensure their full participation in regional and global efforts to combat climate change. Furthermore, the programme will strengthen the capacity of Member States to access climate finance for their mitigation and adaptation projects.
In implementing the programme, COMESA will work in close collaboration with its Member States, government agencies, Non-state actors, Community Based Organizations, academia and other key stakeholders. Uganda is a member of the COMESA bloc.
