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Limbe Declaration

In the city of Limbe, Republic of Cameroon, on 6 March 2012, We, Delegates of African Civil Society Organisations, in this workshop of post Durban assessment and Rio plus 20 preparations which was organised and hosted by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance;

Acknowledging the fact that the non state actors contribution to the UNCED process and it’s outcome is essential for informed policy formulation and monitoring of its implementation at all levels;

Considering that the emerging issues raised by Africa have been and are still a major impediment to the realisation of sustainable development in the continent”;

Acknowledging that the principles, agreements and commitments established in the Río 92 Declaration, Agenda 21 and the Johannesburg Action Plan are fully in effect, and the need to strengthen their implementation in the upcoming Río+20 Conference;

Committed to the success of the Rio+20 Conference and having as an objective to promote sustainable development focusing on poverty eradication, social cohesion and social inclusion;

Concerned that some key Rio principles of sustainable development have been under perpetual threat of distortion and/or ignored in recent international dialogues and negotiations;

Reaffirming the principles of Rio 92, in particular the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and the sovereign right of states over their natural resources;

Conscious of the importance of renewing political commitment on sustainable development at the highest level in the Rio +20 Conference,

Desirous that Rio +20 contributes to reduce the implementation gap of the internationally agreed environmental goals in regards to sustainable development, existing to date;

Acknowledging the effort by Africa to speak with one voice in Rio and desirous that this one voice should be that of and be informed by realities of the local communities,

Confirming the fact that the current proposal of the possible adoption of sustainable development goals to proceed with the design of new development models, made within the framework of the discussions for Rio+20, and that this can become an important tool to focus on goals that ensure integration and complementarity of the three pillars of sustainable development;

Affirming that the rights of people and states to development imply the recognition of the rights of population to overcome poverty, the elimination of conditions that generate inequity and social exclusion, the exercise of the rights in harmony with nature, and the rights, spirituality and cultures of indigenous people and local communities, under the principles of Agenda 21 and other relevant instruments, and the need that these rights be implemented in a context of complementarity in an integral and interdependent manner;

Concerned that the last two decades have been characterised by unfulfilled promises and commitments by developed countries to Africa hence breeding an atmosphere of ever diminishing trust and confidence in international negotiations;

Considering that Africa’s right to development and development efforts have been limited by the negative impacts of climate change, a situation to which she least contributed;

Reaffirming the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and the respective capacities; and the validity of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and all its principles;

Taking into consideration the AU Malabo Decision on Africa’s Preparations for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)

Taking into account the need for adaptation by the African countries and their perculiar vulnerability to climate change, and above all indigenous communities, the poor and marginalized communities;

That Africa needs new, additional, sufficient and non conditional financial resources, based on the principle of common and differentiated responsibilities, to face the mitigation and, especially, adaptation needs, to avoid and remedy damages and losses caused by climate change;