Munyonyo – Uganda’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for East African Community Affairs, Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, has called on the African-Asian Legal Consultative Organisation (AALCO) to champion climate justice and strengthen international environmental governance, especially for developing nations disproportionately affected by climate change.
Speaking at the AALCO session on Environment and Sustainable Development held at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kadaga underscored Uganda’s commitment to environmental protection and the urgent need for a fair, robust global framework to address climate and sustainability challenges.
“The Republic of Uganda is privileged to address the African-Asian Legal Consultative Organisation on the critical issue of environment and sustainable development,” Kadaga said. “Uganda attaches significant importance to a robust international legal framework that addresses environmental challenges and promotes sustainable development.”
Highlighting Uganda’s support for the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), and the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities (CBDR), Kadaga urged developed nations to fulfil their obligations in climate finance, technology transfer, and capacity building.
“All nations share responsibility for environmental protection, but developed nations must bear greater obligations due to their historical contributions to environmental degradation,” she said. “Climate justice requires us to address historical and structural inequalities that have left many developing nations with limited adaptive capacity.”
Kadaga also warned about the growing dangers of plastic pollution, hazardous waste, and transboundary environmental risks, urging AALCO member states to actively engage in the ongoing negotiations for a legally binding global treaty on plastic pollution.
“The regulation of hazardous substances requires urgent attention in Africa and Asia,” she stressed. “The deliberations on plastic pollution carry immense significance in environmental protection and require strong commitment to solidarity and consensus.”
Kadaga emphasised that Africa and Asia bear the brunt of droughts, floods, food insecurity, and displacement, even though they contribute the least to global greenhouse gas emissions. She said vulnerable groups—including women, children, and indigenous communities—face the harshest consequences.
“Climate change is not merely an environmental issue. It is a profound question of justice, equity, and fairness,” Kadaga declared. “Without corrective action, the adverse effects of climate change will deepen poverty, entrench inequality, and undermine sustainable development.”
She concluded by calling for sustainable resource governance, equitable benefit-sharing, and protection of indigenous communities, pledging Uganda’s readiness to collaborate with AALCO members to advance environmental justice for future generations.
“Uganda is committed to the preservation of natural heritage and stands ready to work with AALCO member states to advance environmental justice for sustainable development,” Kadaga said.
The AALCO summit brought together delegates from Africa and Asia to discuss legal, environmental, and sustainability issues affecting the two continents.