WGEO-UNFCCC RCC MENA And South Asia (2022 Highlights)

The WGEO-UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Center (RCC) for the Middle East, North Africa (MENA) and South Asia have is conducting several activities, which are facilitating the implementation of the climate action agenda.

UNFCCC-WGEO RCC MENA and South Asia, among the organizers, supported in the delivery of the first-ever Middle East and North Africa Climate Week, MENACW 2022, which took place from March 28 to 31, 2022 in Dubai, UAE, has built on the outcomes of COP26 in Glasgow, as well as initiate the momentum to COP 27, taking place in Sharm El Sheikh, in November 2022. MENACW 2022 welcomed over 4,000 participants, with 500 speakers from 147 countries. Relevant actors from governments, private sector, civil society, regional and international organizations have attended more than the 200 events organized at the Climate Week.

As mandated by COP 26 decisions, the RCCs are supporting Article 6 capacity-building activities in various regions. “Article 6 of the Paris Agreement recognizes that some Parties choose to pursue voluntary cooperation in the implementation of their nationally determined contributions to allow for higher ambition in their mitigation and adaptation actions and to promote sustainable development and environmental integrity.” In this respect, the WGEO-UNFCCC RCC MENA and South Asia, organized Article 6 Regional Dialogues on Capacity-Building Needs for MENA, and South Asia, as well as disseminated a survey on Article 6 capacity-building needs in the regions. Moreover, the RCCs supported a side event on Article 6, on the margins of SB56 (Bonn) where the results of the dialogues were presented, and further inputs from countries have been collected. The RCCs will continue to play a substantial role in enhancing capacities to understand and engage in Article 6 mechanisms.

In order to meet the Paris Agreement’s temperature goals, as well as to enhance countries’ resilience to climate change impacts, the WGEO-UNFCCC RCC MENA and South Asia supported in delivering the MENA Climate Week affiliated events on NDCs and LT-LEDS and delivering the webinar on the Notification to Parties – NDC and LT-LEDS Synthesis Reports for Asia and MENA.

Climate change adaptation knowledge gaps pose significant barriers to successful adaptation actions. The Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative (LAKI) addresses knowledge barriers that impede the implementation and scaling up of adaptation action. Through this project, WGEO-UNFCCC RCC MENA and South Asia is supporting efforts of LAKI in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and North African sub-regions by identifying and engaging with relevant institutions and experts in closing identified priority knowledge gaps and developing and disseminating knowledge outputs for the intended knowledge users.

The WGEO-UNFCCC RCC MENA and South Asia is supporting in enhancing access and mobilization of climate finance in the Arab States, Island States in the Indian Ocean and in South-Southwest Asia. Through the Needs-Based Finance (NBF) project, consists of climate finance strategy development and validation, capacity-building workshop, and investment forums. Support was provided for the climate finance training workshop in the Maldives, and is providing support to the Arab States Climate Finance Workshop in Tunisia.

The WGEO-UNFCCC RCC MENA and South Asia is also engaging in regional partnerships and responding to country requests to enhance climate action implementation.