National Assembly Speaker the Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Moses Wetangβula who was accopanynied by his Senate counterpart the Rt. Hon. Amason Jeffa Kingi has emphasized on the critical role played by nature in safe guarding the environment.
Speaking on Thursday 4th January, 2024 during the official opening of the ππππ‘ ππ¨π§πππ«ππ§ππ π¨π ππ©πππ€ππ«π¬ ππ§π ππ«ππ¬π’ππ’π§π ππππ’πππ«π¬ π¨π ππ‘π ππ¨π¦π¦π¨π§π°πππ₯ππ‘ (πππππ) where he delivered key note address, Speaker Wetangβula pointed out that climate βrelated shocks are becoming more frequent and severe hence hindering poverty eradication in the continent.
This yearβs πππππ convention graced by the President of the Republic of Uganda, H. E. Hon. Yoweri Museveni, is being hosted by the Parliament of Uganda under the stewardship of the Speaker, the Rt. Hon. Rt. Hon. Anita Among, at the Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo in Kampala, Uganda.
Speaker Wetangβula took the stage to address the conference on the role of Parliaments in mitigating the effects of climate change to safeguard the environment.
βCommonwealth countries, especially those in the global south, are the most vulnerable to the vagaries of climate change and environment degradation despite contributing the leastβ, said Speaker Wetangβula.
Dr. Wetangβula emphasized that Africa was unfairly being impacted more than other regions by climate change despite the continentβs contribution of less than 4% of total greenhouse gas emissions.
Speaker Wetangβula further raised concerns that African countries have to spend more than their fair share for adaptation efforts, currently estimated at 10% of GDP annually according to the African Development Bank.
While addressing over 32 Speakers from the Commonwealth Member states, he implored on the critical role of Parliaments saying that Parliament as the representative of the people, has a crucial role to provide leadership in confronting these global challenges in setting the policy direction; a role in translating outcomes of global processes to domestic legislations; a role in creating awareness; and a role in pushing the Executive arms of governments to act responsibly.
He called upon Commonwealth Parliaments to continuously build capacity for legislators on the issue of tackling climate change menace, provide adequate budgets and offer law makers opportunities at the global stage to interact and share knowledge on how to further mitigate the challenge geared towards saving Mother Nature.
President Museveni said that the conference was impactful to the globe as it brought together leaders of Parliaments with a combined total population of 2.4 Billion people in whom if the right polices are effected the world will be a better place to live in.
He advocated for a symbiotic existence among the African states with their colonial masters saying that only good values should be emulated to nature socio-economic development in the continent.
While highlighting key objectives of the conference, Speaker Among said that the conference is geared towards maintaining, fostering and encouraging fairness on the part of Speakers and presiding officers of Parliaments.
Further, it provides an ideal forum to promote knowledge and understanding of Parliamentary democracy in its various forms aiming at developing Parliamentary Institutions.
Speaker Among, called upon countries to harmonize legislation on climate change to be able to pull resources in form of ideas and capacity to mitigate the diverse effects in the region and beyond.
The CSPOC was established in 1969 and operates on a two-year cycle where it brings together the Speakers and presiding officers of the national Parliaments of the independent sovereign states of the commonwealth.
The two Speakers are accompanied by the Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, Ms. Serah Kioko and the Deputy Clerk of the Senate, Mr. Mohammed Ali.
