Mithika Mwenda of PACJA named one of the 100 most influential figures in the 2019 climate change policy



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Mithika Mwenda

Mithika Mwenda

Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director of the African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), has been named one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World in the 2019 Climate Change Policy".

This is the first time that such a list, which will become an annual tradition, is established. Only five other Africans are on the list.

Apolitical, a global platform for government-to-government learning, selected this list after reviewing hundreds of applications from officials around the world, including experts from the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), the United Nations Development Harvard University, Oxford University, Bloomberg Philanthropies, NGO and more.

"The list lists the people who currently have the greatest impact on climate change policy … Among the recognized personalities are prominent advocates whose work is essential to raise awareness and demand change. Others are rising stars who impose themselves in local communities and are at the origin of governments' progress, Apolitical said in a statement.

"It's a great honor and not just for me as an individual. It is above all a recognition of the work that PACJA has been doing for more than a decade to develop fair and equitable climate policies and actions in Africa and around the world, "said Mwenda in Accra, Ghana, where his organization is co-hosting the African Climate Week with the UNFCCC. "I wish to express my gratitude to all our members, affiliates and partners who have believed in our vision and badured them of our continued commitment to pursue our shared vision in the transition that will ensue to a low-emission, resilient future." to the climate. "

The climate policy and action community in Africa has welcomed this distinction.

Jame Murombedzi, Head of the Climate Change Unit and coordinator of the Climate Policy Center for Africa (ACPC), based in Addis Ababa, said: "It has been evident for some years that '' effective climate policy and action require more than state actors. During the preparation of COP21 in 2015, there were incredible expectations that the world would provide a framework capable of regulating climate actions and ensuring the establishment of a stable climate system. This process also recognized the need to involve civil society organizations and other non-state actors in the establishment of a global governance regime and the accountability of state actors. "

He added that "on the African continent, PACJA has emerged as a leader in convening African civil society organizations and mobilizing civil society in national and global processes. PACJA has played an important role in linking CSOs to pan-African institutions such as the Pan-African Parliament, the African Union Commission, NEPAD, the African Development Bank and ECA. PACJA has ensured that civil society becomes an important part of continental initiatives on climate change, such as the Climate for Development in Africa (CLIMDEV AFRICA) program. All this was done under the leadership of Mr Mwenda, who is indeed recognized by African climate change circles as representing a disciplined and coherent position on climate change and development on our continent. "

Kwame Ababio, Senior Program Officer, Environmental Governance and Climate Change at the African Union-NEPAD Development Agency, said: "The role played by PACJA in bringing the organizations together Civil society and other stakeholders galvanized Africa's comprehensive approach to climate change and its related issues on the continent. continent. As the dominant voice on climate change issues, PACJA has also played a strong advocacy role in ensuring that issues that affect ordinary citizens in the most remote regions of the continent are highlighted at the national, regional and regional levels. and global.

Seth Osafo, Legal Counsel for the African Group of UNFCCC Process Negotiators, said: "I have been involved in PACJA for over five years and I believe that the PACJA, led by Mr. Mwenda, has been very effective as as advocacy group. in the forefront, the challenges facing Africa in relation to climate change. One of the things that I found very effective from PACJA is the statements and documents they produce on specific climate change issues, especially in the negotiations. These have been particularly useful to the group of African negotiators. We consider PACJA to be a good collaborator in supporting the African Negotiating Group. "

Before founding PACJA ten years ago with a few people, Mr. Mwenda, a public policy badyst, was program officer at the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC) from 2009 to 2010. He is currently doctoral candidate at the Wits School. of governance in South Africa.

He is also Chair of the ECA-based Institutional Collaboration Platform for Climate Research for Africa (CR4D) and represents African civil society on the World Bank's Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) Participants Committee.

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