CONCERNS FOR POOR REPRESENTATION OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY FROM AFRICA AND GLOBAL SOUTH IN THE ‘UNFCCC COP30’ BELEM: IMPERATIVE FOR EMERGENCY REMEDIAL ACTIONS

CONCERNS FOR POOR REPRESENTATION OF THE CIVIL SOCIETY FROM AFRICA AND GLOBAL SOUTH IN THE ‘UNFCCC COP30’ BELEM: IMPERATIVE FOR EMERGENCY REMEDIAL ACTIONS

 

A Joint Statement by Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA), African Network of Civil Society Organizations (ANCSO), Global Consortium of Civil Society on Climate Change and Conference of Parties (GCSCCC), and Partners

Plot 520, FHA Lugbe, Airport Road, Abuja, Nigeria  / +2348034725905 /  csa4climate.energy@gmail.com

Please ENDORSE this statement by emailing/sending your name, name of your organization, and country where you are based, to csa4climate.energy@gmail.com, before the close of business (local time) on Tuesday, 21 October 2025. Follow the link above to see the update of all the signatories, for your use if needs be. We apologise for the urgency, as we had actually hoped/waited for an improved experience.


The UNFCCC COP process is the world’s principal forum for negotiating collective responses to the climate crisis. COP30 in Belém—expected to set critical pathways for mitigation, adaptation, and climate finance—must be informed by voices from those most affected. Yet alarmingly, civil society representation from Africa and the Global South at COP30 risks being marginalised, undermining both procedural legitimacy and substantive outcomes. This imbalance is not merely symbolic: it directly weakens policy responses and the prospects for equitable implementation.

 

During the last General Assembly of the Global Consortium of Civil Society on Climate Change and Conference of Parties (GCSCCC) on 14th October 2025, 85% of the participants have not succeeded in receiving their registration/invitation letter, and only one person confirmed to have received the e-visa to Brazil for COP30; barely three weeks to the commencement of the COP.

 

Civil society organisations (CSOs) from Africa and the Global South bring indispensable expertise—grounded knowledge of local vulnerabilities, adaptation practices, and socio-economic nuances that international negotiators often overlook. Their presence ensures negotiations respond to lived realities: from wetland-dependent communities in the Amazon and mangrove stewards in West Africa to smallholder farmers confronting desertification across the Sahel. When these perspectives are absent or underrepresented, policies risk being top-down, technically sound but socially misaligned, and less effective on the ground. Resource fail to bring appropriate ‘value for money’.

 

Barriers to meaningful participation are multifaceted. Financial constraints, visa restrictions, and limited accreditation slots can exclude grassroots representatives. Language barriers and uneven digital access further impede participation in preparatory virtual sessions. Institutional gatekeeping—whereby a few well-resourced international NGOs dominate speaking slots and side events—also crowds out smaller Southern organisations. The consequence is a skewed climate narrative shaped by Northern priorities and expertise, which perpetuates inequity in decision-making and resource allocation.

 

Emergency remedial actions are urgently required. First, UNFCCC and COP host authorities can consider increasing accredited slots earmarked specifically for Africa and Global South CSOs, with transparent selection criteria that prioritise community-led groups and Indigenous organisations. Donor governments and philanthropic institutions should establish rapid-response travel funds to cover visas, travel, and accommodation for civil society and grassroots delegates. Second, invest in capacity-building that strengthens negotiation literacy, language interpretation, and digital connectivity for Southern civil society, so that local voices can engage fully in both formal negotiations and informal diplomacy that shapes outcomes. 


UNFCCC and COP member states should develop modalities where every country must include communities and CSOs in their delegation supported by the state so demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity.

 

Beyond procedural fixes, structural reforms are essential. Equity must be embedded in the COP agenda-setting process: Southern civil society should have guaranteed roles in drafting texts, co-hosting sessions, and designing finance mechanisms. Climate finance architecture should include direct access windows for community-led initiatives, reducing reliance on intermediaries that dilute local priorities. Monitoring and accountability frameworks must track representation metrics and ensure corrective action when disparities appear.

 

COP30 is a test of global solidarity. To safeguard legitimacy and secure durable outcomes, organisers and States must act decisively to correct representational disparities. The climate emergency knows no borders, but its impacts fall disproportionately on those who contributed least. Amplifying African and Global South civil society voices is not charity—it is justice, and it is essential for effective, equitable climate solutions.

 

Immediate timelines and measurable benchmarks should be published before the opening plenary, ensuring accountability and transparency. World leaders must recognize that inclusive representation strengthens resilience, enhances policy relevance, and accelerates a just transition for communities on the frontlines of climate change. It is only communities and CSOs that bring sobriety in global decisions as states generally have political interests other than human needs and rights

 

This statement is signed by the following representatives:

 

1.       Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje. Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA), Nigeria

2.       Peter Owiti. WOYDEP, Kenya

3.       Elsie Ayeh. Ghana Network of Persons Living with HIV (NAP+), Ghana

4.       Muyingo Henry Paul. Uganda Eyenkya Development Project Group; Uganda

5.       Sula Ronald Wani Muye. Women and Children Health Organisation (WCHO), South Sudan

6.       Damian Edward. Eco Scope Foundation, Dar es salaam - Tanzania

7.       Nemezu Frank Adirieje. Society for Conservation and Sustainability of Energy and Environment in Nigeria (SOCSEEN), Nigeria

8.       Dr Cécile NDJEBET. REFACOF, Cameroon 

9.       Joshua Leshan. Oremit Community Organization, Kenya 

10.   Dr PHASI Ndudi. BAC-RDC Group, Kinshasa - RDC

11.   Achuh Owen Teheng. Foundation for Environment and Development (FEDEV), Cameroon

12.   Monsieur Mamadou SARR, l'Association Nationale des Partenaires Migrants du Senegal

13.   Baroness Frances Bekey. Women Empowerment Self-Help and Social Dev’t Initiative, Nigeria

14.   Eng. Mohamed Haggag. Egypt the Dream Foundation for Dev’t and Innovation (EDFDI), Egypt

15.   Balkis Chaabane. Youth Transforming Narratives, Tunisia and Geneva

16.   Hashim Yussif. Asabe Shehu Yaradua Foundation, Nigeria

17.   Lady Edith Uzo Adirieje. Dr Uzo Adirieje Foundation (DUZAFOUND), Nigeria

18.   Yakubu A. Asso. Centre for Youth Challenge and Development, Nasarawa State, Nigeria

19.   Nicodemus Siayi Soko.  CSYM Huduma Mbuenet, Tanzania 

20.   Benjamin Kwadwo Appiah. Freeworld International, Ghana

21.   Dr. Emad Shamloul. Health Insurance Organization, Egypt

22.   Rafael Bueno Curi. Environmental Lawyer, Brasil

23.   Naeto Obinna Adirieje. Civil Society Partnership for Sustainable Development Goals (CSP4SDGs), Nigeria

24.   Aniedi Inyang. Aniedi Inyang foundation-ANIF, Nigeria

25.   Odedele Eunice Yinka. Gender Equality and the Girl Child Development Foundation (GEGCDF), Nigeria

26.   Moustapha MANA. Climate Change Task Force (CCTF), Cameroon 

27.   Patrick Oleje. Association of grassroots counsellors on health and development (AGCOD), Nigeria 

28.   MAHAMAT ABDELKERIM ABBAS. International Helping For The Young, CHAD

29.   Mme KAYA AMINA. OIFM (organisation internationale des femmes du Millénaire), TCHAD 🇹🇩

30.   Babe, Celestine. Under-Privileged Grassroot Foundation, Nigeria

31.   Bashorun Qudirah Modupe. Capwz, Nigeria 

32.   Daniel Amani. Engagement Citoyen pour la promotion de la Paix et du Développement (ECPD), DRC

33.   Mr Alain BISIMWA MAKELELE KAUCHU. Front Commun pour la Protection de l’Environnement et des Espaces Protégés en sigle FCPEEEP, RDC (République Démocratique du Congo

34.   Monicmary Itoya Eniga. Albinism association of Nigeria AAN, Nigeria  

35.   Jacqueline MUSUGANI NYANGOMA. Initiatives des Femmes en Situations Difficiles pour le Développement Durable et Intégré, IFESIDDI, Democratic Republic Of Congo

36.   Claude Alex Ndambi Moutandi. Association Aide aux Femmes et Enfants, Republic of Congo Brazzaville.

37.   Thulisile Maziya. Sinatsisa Lubombo Women and girls Empowerment organization, Lubombo Region, Eswatini

38.   Peace Okorie. Prime initiative for green development, Nigeria

39.   Dr Anicet Durand OBOUE. Club du developpement durable de Côte d'Ivoire (CDD - CI), Côte d'Ivoire / Abidjan

40.   Shaza Guam Suliman. Higher Council of Environment Urban and Rural Promotion, Sudan

41.   DR PREM ADHEESH LEKHI. SSIOM INGO, MALAYSIA

42.   Ohanusi Stella Chiemeka. Godiya Golden Empowerment Initiative, Nigeria

43.   Evans Enwefah. Community Aid Development Foundation (CADEF), Nigeria 

44.   Malachi Saye. Malachi's Charity Foundation (MCF), LIBERIA

45.   Deji Monday bello. Equality access to health and rights initiatives (EAHRI), Nigeria

46.   Aliemu Jalloh. Youth Help Sierra Leone (YHSL), Sierra Leone 

47.   Christopher Dapaah. Resource Link Foundation, Kumasi- Ghana 

48.   Comrade Cynthia Buluebiere Bright. Gbolekekro Women Empowerment and Development Organisation (GWEDO), Nigeria

49.   RANIRINA Nantenaina Phidèle. TAFA, Madagascar

50.   Yizukanji Sikombe. Africa Child Foundation Mission of Tanzania, Tanzania

51.   Oumou Hawa DIALLO. NGO ACOREC, Guinea

52.   SEVERE Joseph. UNASCAD, Haiti

Etc. Etc. 

 

ENDORSE the above statement by send your name, name of your organization, and country where you are based, to csa4climate.energy@gmail.com, before the close of business (local time) on Tuesday, 21 October 2025.

 

Dr. Uzodinma Adirieje.

Chair, Global Consortium of Civil Society and Non-State Actors on Climate Change and the Conference of the Parties (GCSCCC).

CEO/PD, Afrihealth Optonet Association (AHOA) 

<https://afrihealthcsos.blogspot.com/2024/03/about-afrihealth-optonet-association_15.html>

President, African Network of Civil Society Organizations (ANCSO)

Join ANCSO’s Facebook Group to access and share information/news  <https://web.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61564506127838>

Twitter: @uaadirieje; https://twitter.com/uaadirieje; https://twitter.com/afrihealthcso; @DAdirieje; @afrihealthcso

Email:  socseenigeria@gmail.com, afrepton@gmail.com, socseen@afrihealthcsos.org

Instagram: @druzoadirieje; https://www.instagram.com/druzoadirieje/

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/uzoadirieje; https://web.facebook.com/afrihealthcsos;

Skype: druzoadirieje, uaadirieje@yahoo.com;

Zoom: uaadirieje@yahoo.com     

LinkedIn: https://ng.linkedin.com/pub/dir/Dr.+Uzodinma/Adirieje

Phone, Telegram and Text Messages: +234 803 472 5905

WhatsApp: +234 701 553 0362

Website: http://www.afrihealthcsos.org

https://afrihealthoptonetassociation.blogspot.com

ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3100-6336

 

 

 

 

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