Kampala Declaration
- A total of 48 African countries have now agreed to adopt the Kampala Ministerial Declaration on Migration, Environment and Climate Change (KDMECC) to address the nexus of human mobility and climate change in the continent.
- The continental expansion of the KDMECC was discussed at a three-day Conference of States that began August 23, 2023.
- It was co-hosted by the Governments of Kenya and Uganda with support from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
- It also enabled the African States to develop at common position ahead of the Africa Climate Summit and the Conference of Parties (COP 28).
- Africa is one of the world’s most vulnerable continents to the impacts of climate change.
- According to the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre, over 7.5 million people faced internal displacement due to disasters in the past year alone.
KDMECC
- KDMECC was originally signed and agreed upon by 15 African states in Kampala, Uganda in July 2022.
- The KDMECC-AFRICA is expected to be signed by Member States during the Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi on September 4, 2023.
Objectives of KDMECC:
- The KDMECC aims to address the challenges associated with climate-induced migration through several key objectives:
- Comprehensive Framework: Providing member states with a comprehensive framework to develop and implement policies and strategies addressing climate-induced migration.
- Leveraging Migration for Development: Encouraging the integration of migration into sustainable development strategies, ensuring it benefits both migrants and host communities.
- Inclusivity: Prioritizing the voices of vulnerable groups, including youth, women, and those in disadvantaged situations, to ensure their needs and concerns are central to the response.