The June UN Climate Meetings (SB 60) for this year’s World Climate Conference (COP 29) were held from June 3-13, 2024, in Bonn. These negotiations brought together global actors to discuss urgent questions on climate change, necessary adaptation strategies, and their financing, thus setting the agenda for COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, this November.
Considering the pressing issues of the negative impacts of climate change, it is evident that climate change significantly influences migration decisions and can lead to displacement. This critical intersection between climate change and human mobility underscores the importance of the work of the Global Programme on Human Mobility in the Context of Climate Change (GP HMCCC) by GIZ.
Taking advantage of the presence of many key actors in Bonn, the GP HMCCC invited partners and stakeholders to a launch event of its second project phase on June 6, which started with a new team in May 2024. The main objective of the second phase is to overarchingly strengthen gender-responsive approaches to dealing with HMCCC, e.g., by addressing gender-specific needs and strengthen the rights of women and girls in all their diversity, or by adapting and implementing approaches to HMCCC in a gender-responsive and gender-transformative manner. The second phase will also address the roles and needs of cities already facing various challenges due to climate change and support networking efforts. Close consultations with and advisory of the commissioning ministry BMZ are also an essential part of the GP’s work.
Our cooperation with Fiji, which has been technically supported by GIZ since 2017, will continue. This partnership has developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for Planned Relocation, the Climate Relocation of Communities Trust Fund (CROC), and the Comprehensive Risk and Vulnerability Assessment Methodology (CRVAM), along with supplementary documents on culture, gender, psychosocial well-being, and children’s rights. The second phase will build on these milestones, implementing the SOPs and CRVAM, supporting the national task force, and operationalizing the Trust Fund. Additional priorities include addressing non-economic loss and damage (NELD) as well as mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS). We are also pleased to continue our cooperation with the Commission on Population and Development of the Philippines in the new phase, focusing on the integration of migration into national and local climate and environmental strategies as well as the provision of institutional support and training on HMCCC at various levels. Furthermore, the second phase introduces a new regional component: the collaboration with the ECOWAS Commission. This partnership will primarily focus on institutional capacity building and enhancing interdepartmental coordination within West African countries.
We are grateful to have hosted our partners and stakeholders, allowing us to engage in personal conversations, build new networks, and discuss with experts how we can synergize our work to elevate HMCCC higher on the international agenda. We were particularly delighted to welcome the delegation from Fiji, including Filimone Ralogaivau, Acting Director of the Climate Change Division, and Leba Gaunavinaka from the Adaptation Unit. The event was a resounding success, and we look forward to continuing our collaboration on this critical issue.
Photo: © GIZ
