Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Sidie Tunis has urged Parliamentarians across the globe to focus on tackling climate change the challenges through the various interventions they carry-out in their countries and constituencies.
The Speaker made the call on Monday while delivering his address at the 144th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Bali, Indonesia.
The Communications Directorate of the ECOWAS Parliament in a statement issued on Monday stated that the 144th IPU Assembly is with the theme: Getting to Zero: Mobilizing Parliaments to Act on Climate Change.
Tunis said that it is important that sector of the economy incorporate this phenomenon in its budget planning process, stressing the need national policies on climate change.
The Speaker added that it is also important for Members of Parliament to be provided with adequate knowledge on adaptation and mitigation measures in the national policies.
“Members of Parliament should place more emphasis on the environment, through the various interventions they carry-out in their countries and constituencies.
“They should not only focus on areas like agriculture, education, health, and other infrastructural development issues. Rather, there should be mainstreaming of climate change in all our national budgets.
“In the ECOWAS region, many countries are experiencing severe droughts, deforestation, desertification, flooding, coastal erosion, disease outbreaks, famine and food shortages because of climate change.
“To redress these challenges, the ECOWAS Commission, with the full participation of the ECOWAS Parliament, and other stakeholders, has drawn-up a strategic programme for reducing vulnerability to climate change in West Africa.
“The ECOWAS Commission expects Members of Parliament to be proactive and support the climate change programme through sensitization campaigns on the use of renewable energy.
“Alternative sources of charcoal and wood consumption across the region and the formulation of laws to mitigate the negative effect of climate change,” Tunis said.
Tunis stated that also worth mentioning is that Members of Parliament are generally not involved because treaty negotiations are an executive action,
“Upon conclusion of such negotiations, it is imperative that Members should be given adequate briefing on the objectives, background, content and expected outcomes of such agreements.
“This would foster their understanding and possible buy-in into the agreements. It would also ease ratification by the various Parliaments,” the Speaker added.
Tunis also disclosed that one of the Standing Committees at the ECOWAS Parliament is the Committee on Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources which has worked closely with counterpart Committees at the ECOWAS Commission to promote synergy.
“I wish to recall some major accomplishments through the organisation of delocalised Committee meetings on climate change.
“Some of the recommendations of these meetings such as ensuring that substantial budgetary allocations are made and climate change issues mainstreamed in national budgets of member states were adopted,” Tunis said.
