Four Coalitions, the African Climate Platform (ACP), the Environmental Rights Legal Framework Coalition for Africa (ERA), have joined two West African-based networks in Freetown, Sierra Leone, including the Public Interest Lawyering Initiative for West Africa ( PILIWA) and the Mano River Union Civil Society Natural Resources Rights and Governance Platform ( MRU CSO Platform) are now in Freetown Sierra Leone for a five-day strategic conference.
Branded as the Freetown gathering Under the theme: “Building a Just Future: Advancing Advocacy for Natural Resources, Social Justice, Civic Engagement, Environmental Rights and Defenders Across Africa.”
These Coalitions, among others, began a rigorous process of reviewing and validating a petition to seek an advisory opinion before the African Court on the human rights obligations of African Governments to respond to the Climate Crisis.
Others are to review and validate a five-year program for the Environmental Rights Legal Framework Coalition for Africa as well as discussions centering around the launch of the first report on reprisal attacks on Environmental Defenders across West Africa.
At the event, delegates will, among other things, brainstorm on strategies and review rent lawsuits in domestic courts, the ECOWAS Court and non-judicial grievance mechanisms to protect human rights and the environment.
All four institutions will be discussing governance, communication, outreach and advocacy strategies to strengthen solidarity and be more responsive to the challenges of the climate crisis facing people and front-line communities across Africa.
Serving as keynote speaker at the opening ceremony was the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources of Sierra Leone, Julius Daniel Mattai, who underscored the need for the management of mineral resources in the region and the continent at large.
He said the region is rich, yet the people are poor; it is time that Africans benefit from their natural resources to ensure that they also contribute to global and economic sustainable development.
Minister Mattai, who pointed out the vulnerability of the region and continent in regard to climate change, wants a realistic approach aimed at addressing the issue.
“Value added is difficult because our resources are normally taken here as raw materials, and there is no infrastructure for the sector,” he added.
The Mines and Natural Resource Minister of Sierra Leone, at the same time, challenged Africans to change their mindset and be mindful of working on addressing current issues affecting the region and continent in general.
Mr. Mattai also stressed that capacity development is key for young women and men on the continent.
“We must develop our young women and men with the requisite skills to ensure that they compete globally,” he re-echoed.
Also speaking at the program was the Justice Minister of Sierra Leone Alpha Sesay, who encouraged the respective communities to effectively use the laws to advocate for their people.
“Make a commitment to deliver a justice process or system that will respond effectively to the needs of the people,” he encouraged justice and rights actors.
The Attorney General of Sierra Leone told the gathering that the conference is taking place at a time when Sierra Leone is also working harder around addressing climate change issues.
He fears that climate change, if not addressed, will worsen economic, social, and environmental conditions in the region and the continent as a whole.
Minister Sesay also named health, environment, and security as other effects of climate change that are negatively impacting the people.
As the conference progresses, experts have also underscored the urgent need for a comprehensive regional environmental agreement that can provide targeted protection and support as well as enhance the effective implementation of environmental rights.
However, considering these challenges and opportunities, the need for a climate jurisprudence and an environmental rights legal framework for Africa to reaffirm environmental rights across Africa, obtain the obligations of African governments to respond to the climate crisis, and protect its people and environment cannot be overemphasized.
It is also expected that during the meeting, PILIWA members will be engaged in sharing invaluable experiences and innovative strategies for advancing environmental rights jurisprudence.
The Mano River Union CSO Platform week-long activities will also host its annual Peoples Forum, discussing the West African Frontline Grassroots Defenders Directory, a vital documentation tool designed to monitor and report attacks, reprisals, and the tragic killings of environmental defenders throughout West Africa.
At the event, delegates will discuss modalities around the release of the first report from this directory titled “Defenders Missing in Action” (DMIA), highlighting the urgent issues faced by environmental and human rights defenders.
