On Monday, 16 September following extensive consultations with the Presidency, we wrote a letter expressing our deep concern around the lack of political leadership from the COP29 Incoming Presidency to ensure a meaningful and effective outcome on the Enhanced Lima Work Programme and its gender action plan this November.
In February of this year, the WGC and fellow Constituencies drafted a letter to the incoming Presidency to demand that gender equality be centered in the Presidency leadership and COP29 outcomes. As mentioned then, the global framework for action on climate change, including but not limited to the Paris Agreement, has firmly recognized that to be effective and truly transformative, respect for and promotion of gender equality and women’s rights must be central to climate action.
The letter has never received a formal response from the incoming Presidency and in the months since, several letters have been released by the COP29 leadership without any significant mention of plans, strategies or support to ensure successful renewal of the Enhanced Lima Work Programme and its gender action plan. Now, the Presidency has less than two months to engage Parties and shape a gender-responsive climate future, in particular for more than half of the world’s population.
After five years of implementing the Enhanced Lima Work Programme, Parties made limited progress at SB60. Procedural issues led to an erosion of trust and critical divergences were left on the table – all threatening the potential for an ambitious outcome to be decided at COP29. In this challenging context, it remains unclear when Parties will be consulted to build bridges and raise the political ambition for gender just action- action that can translate into truly gender responsive and transformational new NDCs.
A lack of strategic consultation before the start of COP would eliminate any possibilities of a meaningful decision in November. The decision we expect requires time, dedicated capacities, collaborative efforts, and trust among negotiating parties. The WGC urges the Presidency to raise “the gender and climate agenda item” as one of their top priorities.
We therefore call on the Presidency to be intentional in their commitment to making COP29 an inclusive conference, ensuring that the work programme on gender is not just renewed but strengthened, and reflecting our collective commitment to gender equality and effective solutions to the climate crisis. Under the leadership of the COP29 Presidency, we cannot afford to step back from the progress we have collectively made together with the Parties.
As at 16 September, this letter was endorsed and signed by 122 organisations representing civil society across 6 regions. Download the letter here which include a list of all signatories.