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, 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 reviewing current law suits filed in domestic courts, the ECOWAS court and non-judicial grievance mechanism to protect human rights and the environment.
In addition, 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 frontline 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 as such , 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 regards 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.
“To help address some of these issues, it is also key to incorporate regional and global approaches”, he noted.
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 reechoed.
Also speaking at the program was the Justice Minister of Sierra-Leone Alpha Sesay, who encouraged the respective communities to effectively use the laws in order to advocate for their people.
” Make a commitment to deliver a justice process or system that will respond effectively to justice 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 that 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 towards climate change that are negatively impacting the people.
As the conference porgresses , 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 and 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, protect its people and environment can not 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.
At the same time, Discussions will cover a range of topics, including lawsuits, complaints, cases undertaken by West African public interest lawyers in domestic courts, the jurisdiction of transnational corporations, the ECOWAS Court, and international grievance mechanisms.
As part of the weeklong activities, The Mano River Union CSO Platform 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.
Meanwhile, among those in attendance at the conference is one of the world leading defenders of Human Rights and the environment in Africa, Alfred Lahai Brownell.
Mr. Brownell who is the Founding President of the Global Climate Legal Defense, the founder of Green Advocates International, Visiting Professor at Georgetown University School of Law and the 2019 Goldman Prize winner is well known for his strong and impactful advocacies for Liberians and Africans especially for the environment, social justice and Human Rights related issues is participating in such key regional and continental gathering along with Samwah Fallah, also a Liberian Lawyer and professional journalist.
