This informal virtual networking meeting for National ACE Focal Points will be organized repeated in two sessions: at 9:00 (interpretation in French) and at 17:00 (interpretation in Spanish) CEST. 

I. Background and Objective

The Glasgow work programme on ACE encourages Parties “to designate, assign responsibilities to, and provide support, including technical and financial support, and access to information and materials to national Action for Climate Empowerment focal points” (Decisions 18/CP.26, para. 8 and 22/CMA.3, para. 8), also known as national ACE focal points. The responsibilities of national ACE focal points “could include identifying areas for possible international cooperation and opportunities for strengthening synergies with action under other conventions, and coordinating the preparation of the chapter on ACE in national communications, ensuring that relevant contact information, including weblinks, is provided therein.”

The informal virtual networking meeting responds to the request to the secretariat to support “Increased peer-to-peer exchange among national ACE focal points about ACE activities carried out at the national level through, inter alia, the ACE Dialogues, the regional climate weeks and informal virtual networking meetings organized by the secretariat.” (Action Plan of the Glasgow work programme on ACE Activity B.2, priority area coordinated action)

The informal virtual networking meeting is supported by the Action for Climate Empowerment Hub (ACE Hub). The ACE Hub is a three-year collaboration between the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and UN Climate Change. The overarching goal of the project is to foster the implementation of ACE, as well as to enhance the cooperation between national governments, non-Party stakeholders and organizations, experts and companies within and outside NRW in addressing climate change.

II. Description

The informal virtual networking meeting will be organized as an online event repeated in two, one and a half-hour sessions.

Interpretation in French will be available for the first session and interpretation in Spanish will be available for the second session.

Following submissions for structuring the 2024 ACE Dialogue, the meeting will be an opportunity to present the initial findings to national ACE focal points. In addition, the meeting will be used to discuss the proposed structure of the 2024 ACE Focal Points Academy based on the ACE dialogue submissions as well as informed by the results of a pre-needs assessment survey[1] shared to national ACE focal points. Collectively, this will provide national ACE focal points the opportunity to discuss both findings whilst also flagging any other expectations they may have.

On the other hand, the virtual networking meeting will provide a chance for national ACE focal points to learn more about YOUNGO’s ACE-related demands highlighted in their Global Youth Statement[2] and foster peer-to-peer exchange among national ACE focal points on avenues to address such demands. In addition, the session will help YOUNGO gain a better understanding of ACE implementation at national level and help inform their future demands. This segment responds to the request to the secretariat to, “Meaningfully including youth in and engaging with them on climate action at all levels and facilitating the inclusive participation of, inter alia, children, women, indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities, in climate action, according to national circumstances” (Action Plan of the Glasgow work programme on ACE Activity C.2, priority area tools and support)

*NB The meeting can also be extended to Ministry counterparts working on ACE including ACE negotiators.

III. Proposed Agenda