Advancing the Common African Position on Climate Change, Peace and Security
Africa’s Common Position on the Climate Change, Peace and Security nexus is gaining momentum. Driven by African Union leadership, recent Peace and Security Council discussions and a Member States workshop in Nairobi have helped shape the way forward, with a clear roadmap guiding the process towards finalization ahead of COP31.
Since 2022, our partnership with the African Union has been anchored in a shared commitment to strengthening Africa-led responses to the interlinkages between climate change, peace and security. This includes supporting key continental contributions such as the presentation of the Climate, Peace and Security Key Messages by Commissioner Bankole Adeoye at COP27, as well as the Africa Climate Security Risk Assessment, which provides an important evidence base for understanding climate-related security risks across the continent.
In this context, the development of the Common African Position on the Climate Change, Peace and Security Nexus (CAP-CPS) constitutes a key element of this joint effort and continues to move forward under the leadership of the African Union. There is growing recognition of the need for a coordinated continental approach to address climate-related security risks and their implications for peace and stability since 2013.
After the first-ever AU Member States Consultation Workshop in August 2024, another important milestone in the process of the CAP-CPS development was the AU Member States Validation Workshop on the latest draft of CAP-CPS, held in Nairobi from 25 to 27 November 2025. While the draft was not validated at this stage, the event marked a critical step in advancing the process, resulting in a five-step roadmap to guide the further development and finalization this year.
This outcome reflects the strong emphasis placed on Member State engagement and consultation. It underscores a collective commitment to ensuring that the CAP-CPS is shaped through inclusive dialogue and anchored in existing African Union frameworks, including the work of the African Group of Negotiators. In doing so, the process strengthens coherence across Africa’s climate and peace and security agendas.
As the process advances, the CAP-CPS is expected to be finalized ahead of the 2026 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31). This represents an important opportunity to further consolidate Africa’s common position and amplify its collective voice on the global stage.
The progress also underscores the strength of the partnership between the African Union and its partners working together to translate growing political momentum into coherent, Africa-led approaches to addressing the climate-peace-security nexus.