On 7-8 April 2025, UNOAU supported and participated in the 6th Africa Climate Talks and SDGs Forum in Kampala, Uganda, under the theme “Rethinking Financing and Ambition for Climate Action, Green Growth and Development in Africa: A Justice Issue.” The event was organized by the AU in collaboration with the AfDB and UNECA (Climate for Development in Africa Programme partners), in the lead-up to the 11th Africa Regional Forum on Sustainable Development, providing a strategic opportunity to assess Africa’s climate action progress, reflect on outcomes from COP29, and build regional consensus toward COP30.

The opening session was presided over by H.E. Robinah Nabbanja, Prime Minister of Uganda, and featured a high-level opening panel with representatives from the AUC, AfDB, UN and Netherlands government.  Technical discussions during the Forum focused on key issues relevant to Africa’s climate governance agenda, including the operationalization of the Global Goal on Adaptation; implementation pathways for the Loss and Damage Fund, particularly in fragile and conflict-affected contexts; legal and policy implications of the International Court of Justice advisory opinion on states’ obligations related to climate change; Africa’s carbon market readiness; and Africa’s strategic positioning in the negotiation of the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance. Participants also deliberated on a shared roadmap to COP30, emphasizing the importance of just transitions, increased ambition, and enhanced resource mobilization tailored to African priorities. 

For the first time, the Forum featured a dedicated session on the CPS nexus, organized with support from UNOAU in collaboration with the AU, UNDP, and PACJA. The session served as a platform to reflect on emerging risks, share practical experiences from the field, and identify opportunities to align climate action and peacebuilding efforts. Panellists included representatives from PACJA, IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Centre, UNICEF, Alliance of Bioversity International, and UNOAU.

Discussions highlighted how accelerating climate impacts are contributing to instability, displacement, and conflict in fragile contexts. Participants underscored the urgency of integrating climate-security risk assessments into early warning systems, nationally determined contributions, and climate finance. Discussions emphasized how insecurity, weak governance, and institutional fragility continue to undermine adaptation and mitigation efforts across the continent. The outcome document from the forum will inform Africa’s position at COP 30 which will be adopted at the Climate Change and Development Conference XIII in September. It was also announced that the Second Africa Climate Summit will be convened in September 2025 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.