Africa Day at COP31

High-Level Leadership Dialogue on COP31–COP32 Continuity

Remarks

By

Claver Gatete

United Nations Under-Secretary-General and

Executive Secretary of ECA

Africa Pavilion, COP31 Antalya, Türkiye

12 November 2026

Excellencies,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen:

I thank the African Union Commission for the opportunity to contribute to this discussion, and our hosts, the Government of Türkiye, for their hospitality.

Chairperson, I commend you and the African Union leadership for championing water and sanitation as a continental priority throughout 2026, the African Union's Year of Water and Sanitation. This reflects a strong commitment to improving the health, livelihoods and economic prospects of millions of Africans.

It is encouraging to see this continental priority receiving such attention here at COP31, as we prepare for COP32 in Addis Ababa.

Africa already has important continental frameworks to guide investment in water security and climate resilience, including the Africa Water Vision 2063 and Policy and the Continental Africa Water Investment Programme.

So, there is a solid policy foundation. The challenge now is to mobilize the financing, strengthen the institutions and prepare the projects needed for implementation.

Africa's annual adaptation financing needs are estimated at US$70 billion. Yet recent assessments indicate that annual adaptation finance flows to the continent have remained below US$15 billion, leaving a substantial financing gap.

ECA therefore supports the African Union's efforts to mobilize at least an additional US$30 billion annually by 2030 for water security and sustainable sanitation.

Excellencies,

Maintaining the momentum built here at COP31 and carrying it forward to COP32 requires collective action in three core areas.

First, we must strengthen the policy and economic conditions for climate investment.

African countries need predictable policies and sound regulatory frameworks to attract investment. Yet high borrowing costs, often compounded by risk perceptions that do not fully reflect economic fundamentals, continue to make essential infrastructure more expensive to finance.

Reform of the international financial architecture must therefore promote more affordable capital, fairer credit ratings, greater access to grants and concessional finance, and simpler access to climate funds for national institutions.

In this regard, I welcome the recent launch of the Africa Credit Rating Agency (AfCRA), an important African initiative aimed at improving the assessment of African economies and investment risks.

Second, we must expand innovative approaches to mobilizing climate finance.

Debt-for-climate arrangements, green and blue bonds, and blended finance can help attract investment in water infrastructure and other climate resilience measures.

African development finance institutions have an important role in mobilizing domestic resources and attracting private capital.

But access to finance must be matched by stronger project preparation. Countries need support to develop credible, investment-ready projects that can move from planning to implementation.

This work must continue beyond Antalya, so that preparations for COP32 are informed by credible investment opportunities and concrete financing needs.

Third, we must strengthen the knowledge and analytical support needed to carry Africa's priorities from COP31 to COP32.

This requires credible evidence on financing needs, investment opportunities and implementation gaps, as well as sustained cooperation between the two COP Presidencies.

Through the African Climate Policy Centre and ClimDev-Africa, ECA will continue working with the African Union Commission, the African Development Bank, Afreximbank and other partners to support member States in climate finance readiness, investment planning, project preparation and policy reform.

Our analytical work will help assess progress on commitments made at COP31, identify remaining financing gaps and inform Africa's priorities as preparations advance towards COP32.

Excellencies,

As we look towards COP32 in Addis Ababa, we must build on the commitments made here in Antalya and work closely with the incoming Ethiopian Presidency to advance Africa's climate priorities.

Our shared responsibility is to improve access to affordable climate finance, accelerate investment in adaptation and water security, and strengthen countries' capacity to turn their climate commitments into concrete results.

I thank you.