PACJA Faults UN’s Decision To Keep Loss and Damage Secretariat In Geneva

NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 28 – Climate crusader Pan Africa Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA) has faulted the United Nation’s Santiago Network on Loss and Damage (SNLD) Advisory Board over its decision to hold the host secretariat in Geneva instead of Nairobi.

The lobby group asserts that Nairobi ticked all the boxes for holding the secretariat making the convention in Geneva a global injustice as Africa is the worst hit by climate change holding the relevance of having the office domiciled in Nairobi.

“This decision by the Board demonstrates the sustained conspiracy by developed countries to keep climate response measures remote to African and other developing nations who ought to be at the center of the capacity strengthening support of the SNLD,” read a statement by PACJA.

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The lobby group has sustained its call on the SNLD to have sustainable, predictable, and sufficient resources to enhance the capacity of countries to respond to losses and damages occasioned by the changing climate.

Earlier, the civil society organization faulted the current Green Climate Fund (GCF) model, noting that it has failed to take Africa into consideration.

PACJA noted that the current model has fallen short of addressing the priority needs of African countries arguing that Africa remains the worst hit by climate change, yet they have over time received the lowest funding levels.

The SNLD, an appendage of the UN Climate Change Secretariat is mandated to facilitate knowledge and resource mobilization for developing countries in tackling climate change. It is set to be in effect from 2025.