By Nelson Manneh
Regional Civil Society Organizations were recently trained on Environmental Degradation and Climate Change in Africa.
Mr Gbesse Koudjo Mawuena, the Executive Director of a Civil Society Organization (Majesté Services Organization), operating in environmental protection and Climate Change in Togo and Mali respectively, also participated in the training.
The event brought together eleven participants from different countries across West Africa. The three-day training was aimed at providing participants with a foundational understanding of the international human rights system, its evolution, and its relevance to environmental issues which include climate change.
The training was also aimed at equippng CSOs with knowledge and skills to advocate for environmental sustainability and human rights, particularly through engagement with the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Madam Hannah Forster, Executive Director of the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies, emphasized the urgent need to address climate change and its devastating impact on Africa.
She said it is important to strategically engage non-state actors in the fight against human rights violations and the civil society organizations (CSOs) to be key players in tackling environmental challenges including climate change.
The profound effect of climate change on Africa’s resources and the necessity for immediate action was a recurring theme. CSOs were encouraged to lead in addressing these challenges.
The Executive Director of the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies urged participants to understand the limitations of government actions and to engage with more powerful non-state actors to effect meaningful change.
She also emphasized the integration of human rights into environmental protection efforts, with a focus on using international and regional mechanisms to protect environmental rights.
Mr Gbesse Koudjo alleged a lot of human rights violations are happening in the Republic of Togo and these rights violations, he said, ranged from cutting down of forest trees, environmental degradation, and mining among other activities.
“Our government is not doing much to protect our natural resources and my organization, like all other civil society organizations in West Africa, continues to face a lot of challenges in trying to engage our government,” he said.
At the end of the training, the CSOs that were represented recommended the strengthening of CSO networks and enhanced collaboration among CSOs to form a unified front in advocating for environmental and human rights protections.
They also recommended for the leveraging of legal mechanisms, that CSOs should actively utilize the African Commission’s mechanisms to address environmental violations and hold states accountable and to promote public awareness that is to increase public awareness of environmental issues and human rights, particularly through education and community engagement.
