RCC West and Central Africa and the Regional Climate Action Transparency Hub (ReCATH) for countries in the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) organized a training workshop for environmental lawyers and the Constitutive General Assembly of the Network of Environmental Lawyers Experts of Central Africa (REJEAC).

The training workshop aimed to enable lawyers to acquire a basic knowledge of multilateral environmental agreements and their implications at the national level, exchange national experiences, and advance harmonization of member states' legislation.

Summary

Africa has vast regions rich with natural resources. There is an urgent need to sustainably manage these resources as the continent grows in line with national and global goals. Realizing the vision of a green economy requires legal experts equipped to navigate a complex web of environmental laws and regulations. RCC WAC Africa, the UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centre for West and Central Africa, co-organized a workshop on multilateral environmental agreements to inform and engage Africa’s legal community. 

The workshop engaged the Environmental Lawyers and the Constitutive General Assembly of the Network of Environmental Lawyers Experts of Central Africa (REJEAC) in Kigali, Rwanda, from 30 April to 3 May 2024. Effective implementation of international agreements in Africa requires legal, regulatory and institutional reforms, all of which are tied to legal expertise. The workshop equipped African environmental legal negotiators with in-depth knowledge of multilateral environmental agreements. 

Discussions focused on the three Rio Conventions—UNFCCC, CBD, and UNCCDand fostered an exchange of national experiences and a conversation on the urgent need to harmonize legislation across Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) members. 

RCC WAC Africa held the workshop on-site supported by the secretariat Legal affairs division online. The team facilitated and presented the UNFCCC rules of procedure, the Framework Convention, Kyoto Protocol, and Paris Agreement. Discussions focused on the NDCs and Article 6.  

The event culminated with the launch of a network of environmental lawyers in central Africa, which aims to support countries in preparing and participating in UN Climate Change negotiations and implementating the Paris Agreement. The event also established a bureau and drafted a roadmap to guide the network's operations, including a strong capacity-building component. The Government of Rwanda, through the Ministry of Environment, offered to host the Network. This offer and the roadmap were adopted unanimously.  

Co-organizers of this meeting included ECCAS – through the Regional Climate Action Transparency Hub for Central African States, Legal Response International and the Africa Group of Negotiators Expert Support.