Uganda has called upon the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organisation ( AALCO ) member states to advocate for the implementation of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities commonly known as CBDR in climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building to support developing nations in mitigation and adaptation efforts.
The call was made on behalf of the Uganda government by the 1st Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East Africa Regional Affairs Ms. Rebecca Kadaga in a statement she made at the on going 63rd AALCO Session in Kampala.
“These issues are central to the aspirations of African and Asian nations, which bear the disproportionate impacts of climate change, resource degradation, and unsustainable practices, despite contributing least to global environmental crises,” she stated .
Kadaga told the delegates that the global environmental crisis manifested through climate change, biodiversity loss, deforestation, pollution, and resource depletion threatens the livelihoods, security, and future of nations worldwide.
The trans boundary pollution including plastic waste and hazardous chemicals, Kadaga said poses significant threats to human health and ecosystems.
“The regulation of hazardous substances requires urgent attention in Africa and Asia. Waste management infrastructure in African and Asian countries, in compliance with international environmental standards is a public health concern that requires our urgent attention,” she stressed.
Kadaga said that Uganda appreciates the efforts of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on Plastic Pollution to develop an internationally legally binding instrument to address the impact of plastic pollution.
“The Committee’s deliberations carry immense significance in environmental protection and therefore require careful, focused and urgent attention with a strong commitment to solidarity and consensus. The Government of Uganda, therefore, urges the AALCO to engage with the Committee in constructive dialogue to further study the treaty text with a view to finalizing it,” she added.
The first Deputy Prime Minister said that Africa and Asia, the two regions represented in AALCO, are disproportionately affected by climate change.
“Our peoples face increasing droughts, floods, food insecurity, sea-level rise, and displacement, all of which directly threaten development gains and the enjoyment of fundamental human rights. Women, children, indigenous peoples, and other vulnerable groups continue to bear the heaviest burdens, despite having contributed the least to global greenhouse gas emissions,” Kadaga stressed.
She reminded the delegates that climate change is not merely an environmental issue. It is a profound question of justice, equity, and fairness.
“The intersection of climate risks with governance arrangements is of immediate concern. Climate justice requires us to address historical and structural inequalities that have left many developing nations with limited adaptive capacity. Without corrective action, the adverse effects of climate change will deepen poverty, entrench inequality, and undermine sustainable development.”
Climate justice, Kadaga argued is not optional but it is essential to an effective and sustainable global response.
She said that AALCO has a unique role to play and must deliberately advance a climate justice perspective in its work.
“Risk assessments and climate responses that fail to account for equity considerations risk reinforcing existing vulnerabilities., Kadga warned and urge AALCO experts on the environment to support Member States in integrating climate justice into risk governance.
She called for action for promotion of sustainable resource governance including equitable benefit-sharing and the protection of indigenous and local communities’ rights.
Kadaga said that Uganda was committed to the preservation of the natural heritage and stands ready to collaborate with AALCO member states to advance environmental justice for sustainable development for the benefit of current and future generations.
