Sustaining the African common position on climate change: international organisations, Africa and COP17

Abstract

Ahead of the ‘African Conference of the Parties’ (COP) scheduled to take place in Durban in November 2011, the ability to maintain an African common position will be paramount in providing a platform from which to pursue the continent's priorities on climate change. This article considers the role of international organisations in shaping the Africa Group's common position from COP15 in Copenhagen ahead of Durban. In addressing this role the analysis considers the position of the African Union and the regional economic communities, as well as the challenges facing the African Union from nested international organisation interests.

Keywords:

• COP17
• African common position
• climate change
• regional economic communities
• international organisations

Notes

1. The concept of international organisations is a broad framework and includes state-centric regional and continental organisations such as the United Nations, World Trade Organisation (WTO), and Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), as well as international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) such as Greenpeace, Third World Network and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The limited space for analysis has seen the discussion primarily focused on the role of state-centric IOs in Africa, although further research is needed on the role played by non-state IOs within the continent as well as between partner organisations such as the AU and European Union (EU).

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