Climate Action Network Arab World: Civil Society Contribution to COP22 in Marrakech
“From Paris to Marrakesh and Beyond” is the leading principle of the “Climate Action Network Arab World” (CAN Arab World). CAN is a network of NGOs working on climate change from around the world. Last year, with the support of Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, the CAN Arab World was founded in Amman. Today, almost a year later, this network consists of two sub-regional networks with approximately 80 member organizations and it is hence the biggest NGO-network in the field of Climate Action in the MENA-region.
NGOs in the Arab world have joined forces against climate change for the first time ever. With the help of FES Energy and Climate Project, the International Climate Action Network has successfully established the first NGO coalition and CAN Arab Nod to join other CAN Nods in the world. The first workshop was held in Casablanca, Morocco on the 25th of March 2016. The workshop was mainly for member NGOs from the Maghreb (West) of the Arab World. The workshop introduced members to each other, agreed on milestones structure, and created a work plan and a timeline for CAN Arab World. The second workshop was held in Amman, Jordan, on the 29th of May 2016, for member NGOs from the Mashrek (East) of the Arab World. The workshop drafted an action plan for the members of the group, agreed on the plan set-out in the previous workshop by Maghreb members, and prepared an action plan for the next meeting in Tunis that joined both Mashrek and Maghreb members.
A workshop was also held in Tunis in order to prepare the position of the Civil Society in the Arab World towards COP22 in Marrakesh. The position paper was submitted to the Ministers of the Arab Council of Environmental Affairs during the Arab League. The recommendations of the Arab league were presented in a press conference with the presence of CAN Arab World sub-regional coordinators from the Mashrek (East) and Maghreb (West) regions.
If you are interested in the work of CAN Arab World or would like your NGO to join the network, feel free to get in touch with CAN Arab World.