By Isaiah Esipisu
 |
| Some of the lawyers participating in the YAL programme |
PARIS France (PAMACC News) – Political
leaders, civil society organisations and scientists at the ongoing climate change
negotiations in Paris have lauded the Young African Lawyers (YAL) programme on
climate change initiative, saying that the young experts hold the key to the
future climate governance.
“When
we invest in protecting the climate, we are investing in the future, and
therefore it is important to invest in young African lawyers so that they can
take over from the current negotiators,” said Mithika Mwenda, the Secretary General
for Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA).
The YAL programme, established under
the ClimDev - Africa Programme has the overarching goal of strengthening
African's negotiating position and ensuring Africa gets the best possible deal
under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)
process.
The programme is providing
opportunities for building the expertise of young African lawyers on climate
change in order to support national responses of African countries to address climate
change through formulation of policies, strategies and laws.
“Climate change is a new subject,
and therefore most of the existing legal frameworks do not incorporate it,”
said Dr Wilbur Ottichilo, a Member of Parliament in Kenya and chair of the
Parliamentary Network on Renewable Energy and Climate Change.
According to Matthew Stilwell, a climate
change expert and legal adviser to the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), each
pillar of negotiation has different legal questions that must be interpreted and
answered by legal experts, hence, the importance of nurturing the skills of
young lawyers.
“We have issues to do with
adaptation and loss and damage, which are legal issues. How do you ensure that
developed countries fulfill their financial agreements? How do you ensure that
they deliver the $100 billion to Africa? All these are legal questions that
require legal expertise,” he told an even at the African Pavilion on the
sidelines of the ongoing 21 session of the UNFCCC Conference of Parties (COP21)
in Paris.
According
to Dr Fatima Denton, the Director for Special Initiatives Division of UN
Economic Commission for Africa, the youth should be the focus of climate change
initiatives.
“Humanity
is becoming increasingly African. A recent UNICEF report found out that 16 out
of 100 world inhabitants are Africans, majority who are youth. Youth must be
involved in interpreting and analysing climate change issues because it affects
them more. Africa must invest in knowledge,” she said.
Dr
Ottichillo urged African universities to start graduate and post-graduate
studies in climate change.
“Just
like the universities introduced environment studies in the 1980s, they should
do so in climate change so that we have a team of knowledgeable experts like
the YAN to steer the continent to finding solutions to climate change,” he said.
Dr
Seth Osafo, former senior legal adviser of the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat and lead mentor of YAL noted
the programme is very critical to the African negotiators.
“I
have been involved in the discussions for long and want to appreciate the role
the young lawyers are playing. Their contribution leaves the negotiators with
time to fully participate in the discussions as the lawyers delve into legal
issues,” said Dr Osafo.
The
YAL programme is sponsored by the African Development Bank (AfDB) under ClimDev-Africa
Programme, the African Union Commission (AUC), UNECA and African Climate Policy
Centre (ACPC).
Additional reporting by Protus Onyango
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