Addis Ababa, August 24, 2023 (FBC) – The Minister of Planning and Development of Ethiopia Fitsum Asefa and UNICEF Deputy Representative to Ethiopia Mariko Kagonshima met to discuss the impact of climate change on women and children.
During the meeting, the two dignitaries exchanged views on Ethiopia’s climate change priorities, including its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement and the impact of climate change on women and children, as well as the need for increased investment in climate adaptation measures.
They further discussed several areas of cooperation, including: conducting studies on the impact of climate change on women and children in Ethiopia, developing programs to mitigate the negative effects of climate change, raising awareness of climate change among women and children, and building the capacity of government and community actors to address climate change.
The Minister expressed appreciation for the work that UNICEF is doing in Ethiopia, particularly vulnerable groups. She said that the Ministry of Planning and Development is fully committed to working with UNICEF to address the challenges of climate change.
She also highlighted Ethiopia’s preparations for the upcoming African Climate Summit to be held Nairobi, Kenya in September 4-8, 2023 and COP28 climate conference, which will be held in Dubai, in November 2023. She requested UNICEF’s support for Ethiopia’s participation in the conference.
For her part, UNICEF Deputy Representative to Ethiopia Mariko Kagonshima said that the organization is working on several programs to address the challenges posed by climate change, including monitoring and evaluation, education, sanitation, and food protection. She also highlighted the importance of changing behaviors to address issues such as child marriage, FGM, disability, and gender inequality.
She said that UNICEF is committed to supporting Ethiopia’s climate change efforts. She highlighted UNICEF’s work on climate-smart agriculture, water management, and disaster risk reduction. She also said that UNICEF is working to strengthen the resilience of women and children to the impacts of climate change.
In addition to climate change, the two sides also discussed other issues of mutual interest, such as the education of girls, the protection of children from violence, and the promotion of gender equality.
The MoPD Minister and the UNICEF Representative agreed to work together on several initiatives, including conducting studies on the impact of climate change, developing programs to mitigate the negative effects, raising awareness of climate change, and building the capacity of government and community actors, as per the Ministry of Planning and Development of Ethiopia.