12th AFRICAN REGIONAL FORUM FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (ARFSD-12)
7th Africa Climate Talks
Africa’s Road to COP32:
From Commitments to Credible Implementation
Statement
By
Mr. Claver Gatete
United Nations Under-Secretary-General and
Executive Secretary of ECA
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
30 April 2026
H.E. Fitsum Assefa, Minister of Planning and Development, Ethiopia
H.E. Mr. Berek Baran, Ambassador of Turkey to Ethiopia
H.E. Amb. Dr Peter Hunter, Head of Mission at the Australian Embassy, Ethiopia.
H.E. Moses Vilakati, Commissioner, Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue Economy and Sustainable Environment, AUC
Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, Chair of the African Group of Negotiators
Distinguished Ministers,
Esteemed colleagues and partners,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
I am delighted to join you at this 7th Africa Climate Talks.
I thank our gracious host, the Government of Ethiopia, for the warm hospitality and continued leadership on climate action and sustainable development.
I also commend the African Climate Policy Centre of UNECA, together with our ClimDevAfrica partners, for convening this important dialogue.
Your continued engagement reflects a shared recognition of both the urgency of the climate challenge and the need for coordinated, evidence-based responses.
Excellencies,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen:
Our meeting is taking place at a critical time for global climate action, especially as climate impacts are worsening faster than our current responses.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has stated that emissions must be significantly reduced within this decade to achieve the 1.5 degrees Celsius target.
However, the first Global Stocktake also shows that current progress is off track.
So, the key challenge now is whether the international community can implement the necessary changes swiftly and broadly enough.
This gap is most visible in climate finance.
Despite repeated commitments, financing continues to fall short of agreed targets, while trust in multilateral cooperation is eroding, particularly among those least responsible for the crisis.
It is worth recalling that Africa emits less than 4% of global greenhouse gases but is highly vulnerable to climate shocks.
As we speak, increasing temperatures, unpredictable weather, floods, droughts and rising seas are threatening food security, water supply, infrastructure and public finances.
Your Excellencies,
Dear Colleagues,
African countries need US$277 billion annually, between now and 2030, to implement their NDCs. The continent currently receives just about 11% of this.
So, the funding remains considerable.
And this is where the narrative must change.
To define Africa solely by vulnerability would be to miss the full picture.
Because the continent also offers significant solutions.
It has abundant renewable energy resources, rich biodiversity for nature-based initiatives and a young population that drives innovation and green growth.
Africa has the potential to help solve global climate challenges, provided it is supported by a responsive global climate system.
This makes the Africa Climate Talks crucial, as they provide an opportunity to unify priorities across the continent and refine Africa’s approach to COP31 and COP32, especially with the landmark chance to host COP32 on African soil, in this great country Ethiopia.
The reality is that the global climate system is struggling with credibility because many commitments are not backed by real action.
While the UNFCCC transparency framework exists, its enforcement is weak, allowing a gap between promises and achievements that erodes trust in international cooporation.
For this reason, COP32 needs to chart a new direction.
It must emphasize tangible results not just pledges, and ensure that ambitious goals are paired with true accountability and measurable outcomes.
Closing the ambition-delivery gap will depend on how effectively we translate commitments into implementation on the ground.
This is where climate finance must shift from commitment to effective deployment.
Although Africa is highly vulnerable and its needs have been clearly stated, the continent receives only a small portion of global funds, with most support focused on mitigation efforts elsewhere.
As a result, adaptation needs to be given higher priority.
In fact, for Africa, adaptation is crucial for development because it supports food security, protects infrastructure, stabilizes economies and improves wellbeing.
However, there is not enough funding for adaptation, nor is it adequately tracked.
Even basic tools like early warning systems, which are cost-effective, are not available to everyone.
The Global Stocktake provides a solid scientific basis.
The next step is action through effective policies, financing and implementation.
And Nationally Determined Contributions should also drive transformation by aligning with industrialization, energy access, job creation and poverty reduction.
As we look ahead to COP32, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, several priorities should guide Africa’s collective engagement.
First, COP32 must be firmly positioned as an implementation-focused conference, with credible systems to track finance, monitor adaptation outcomes and assess delivery against commitments.
Second, climate finance must be scaled and reformed to respond to Africa’s realities.
This includes increasing concessional and predictable flows, simplifying access and advancing reforms of the global financial architecture to better reflect Africa’s needs.
Third, adaptation must be firmly integrated within development planning, supported by stronger data systems, expanded early warning coverage and full integration into national budgets.
Fourth, climate action should drive Africa’s structural transformation through faster industrialization, broader energy access, job creation, and poverty reduction.
Fifth, Africa needs greater coherence and focus in global climate talks by prioritising high-impact issues, building alliances, and investing in capacity.
Excellencies,
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen:
In the final analysis, COP32 will be a defining test of credibility.
A test of whether we can move from commitments to results.
A test of whether trust in the multilateral system can be restored through delivery.
And a test of whether Africa’s priorities will finally be matched with action at scale.
Even so, I am confident in Africa’s readiness to contribute effective solutions, enhance resilience and steer a climate agenda rooted in justice and tangible results.
Thank you.