Ministers in Abidjan declaration, seek legally binding protocol to combat land degradation

African environment ministers have called for the establishment of a legally binding protocol on drought management under the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).

The call for action comes amid growing concerns over the detrimental impact of land degradation, drought and desertification on the continent’s socio-economic stability, food security, and environmental sustainability.

In the Abidjan Declaration after the 10th Special Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, the ministers called for a drought management protocol and expressed deep concern over the environmental challenges Africa faces – particularly rising temperatures and land degradation – and stressed that inaction weakens social and ecosystems resilience across African countries.

AMCEN special session sets the stage for a unified African voice ahead of critical global discussions at upcoming international environmental conferences, including the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD COP 16) in October in Cali, Columbia, Climate COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan in November, and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) COP 16 in Riyad, Saudi Arabia in December.

The outcomes of these conferences will help shape the future of the planet for generations to come. The ministers, who highlighted the integral work of the Africa Groups of Negotiators (AGN) as they engage in several upcoming international conferences and negotiations, noted that the special session provided a clear mandate and solidly endorsed the common African positions, as well as strengthened global and regional partnerships involving governments, international organisations, civil society, academia, local communities, and the private sector.

They recalled their commitment to a global, legally binding treaty on plastic pollution and emphasised the urgent need for cooperation to address the continent’s growing environmental challenge, as well as highlighted how these issues are worsening poverty, reducing agricultural productivity, and threatening wildlife.

Africa produces only 5 per cent of the world’s plastic yet the continent is heavily impacted by the environmental and health consequences of plastic pollution. Ministers emphasised the need for a strong global treaty to address these issues, calling for measures such as phasing out harmful chemicals, promoting a circular economy, and establishing financial support mechanisms to help Africa transition to more sustainable practices.

The Abidjan Declaration also emphasised the need for innovative financing models to unlock the $1.2 trillion required to implement the Sustainable Development Goals In 2023, over $400 billion was spent on clean energy projects globally, but only $2.6 billion reached African nations.

At the AMCEN event, UNEP’s Executive Director, Inger Andersen, rallied the African ministers to unite as they sought to address the growing impact on the continent of the triple planetary crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution and waste.

“African nations can go to these COPs with a strong land position. Link land restoration, land management and land productivity to climate pledges and national biodiversity strategies and action plans,” she added.

“Public and private finance needs to ramp up. Food systems need to be reformed. And pollution needs to be addressed. In this last regard, African nations can help deliver a strong instrument to end plastic pollution at the final round of talks at the end of this year.”

Also speaking at the special session, Executive Secretary, UNCCD, Ibrahim Thiaw, stressed the need to revise development policies to address the root causes of land degradation. “The land must not be seen only as a source of extraction: extraction of agricultural products, extraction of minerals, and extraction of water resources,” he said.

“As the land is our most precious asset for our food, our clothes, our fuels, and our animals’ feed, we need to adopt a managerial rather than an exploitative attitude. An asset — especially such a precious asset — ought to be managed, with a whole-of-government and a whole-of-society approach.”

“In Africa, as in all regions, the climate crisis is an economic sinkhole, sucking the momentum out of economic growth. It is African nations and people who are paying the heaviest price. But it would be entirely incorrect for any world leader — especially in the G20 — to think that although this is all incredibly sad, ultimately, it’s not my problem,” according to the Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Simon Stiell.

Stiell called for a new international climate financial goal, firmly grounded in the needs of developing countries. “COP29 must signal that the climate crisis is core business for every government, with finance solutions to match,” he added.

MEANWHILE, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has praised the ministers for their unified approach and firm commitment to tackling urgent issues. “By prioritising the fight against desertification, land degradation, and plastic pollution, African leaders are showing true leadership in addressing these pressing challenges,” the Head of Policy and Partnerships at WWF Africa, Laurent Some said. “This solidarity is essential for securing food security, protecting biodiversity, and ensuring a sustainable future for Africa’s people and natural resources.”

Greenpeace Africa Responsive Lead, Amos Wemanya, said: “COP29 presents African governments and AGN on climate change an opportunity to present a strong case for debt-free, public and adequate climate finance to meet the needs of communities on the front line of the crisis.

“This is not time for African governments to gamble with carbon offsets and private finance as climate finance. We have been here before and all these have proved to be dangerous distractions to finding real solutions to the climate challenges on our continent.

“Rich countries should make polluters, especially the fossil industry pay for the losses and damages caused to our communities. Africa needs climate finance to invest in renewable energy, ecosystem protection, land restoration and food sovereignty.

“At COP29, wealthy countries must provide leadership in providing the scale of climate finance required to tackle the climate crisis and restore trust in the multilateral system,” Wemanya added.