Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Journalists and media representatives from across Africa have adopted the Addis Ababa Declaration on Media, Climate, Peace and Security, and Justice at a pre-summit forum ahead of the Second Africa Climate Summit (ACS2).
The forum, held at Radisson Blu, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on September 6–7 on the theme: ‘Media as a Catalyst for Africa’s Climate Change, Peace and Security Agenda: Driving Just Transition and Climate Justice’ and under the leadership of the African Union Commission’s Department of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS) and the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), with support from Oxfam International and German Development Cooperation (GIZ), brought together media leaders from about 42 countries and partners to shape Africa’s collective position on the climate crisis.
The declaration links climate change directly to peace and security on the continent, calls for climate finance to be treated as a matter of justice rather than charity, and underscores the indispensable role of the media in driving accountability and public trust.
“Africa stands at a crossroads where climate change and human insecurity are converging,” the declaration states. “Extreme weather events are eroding livelihoods, deepening inequality, shaping mobility patterns and increasing displacement. Without urgent, coordinated action, these challenges will continue to undermine peace and social cohesion across the continent.”
Key Highlights of the Addis Declaration
- Climate, Peace and Security: Urges the AU and member states to integrate climate risks into peace and security frameworks.
- Just Transition: Stresses fairness and inclusion, ensuring women, youth, workers, and marginalised groups participate in shaping transition policies.
- Climate Finance: Demands transparent, predictable, and accessible funding for adaptation, especially in fragile and conflict-affected states, as redress for historic global inequities.
- Media’s Role: Calls for stronger support to independent journalism, investigative reporting on climate finance, and regional cooperation to combat disinformation.
- Information Integrity: Endorses the Global Initiative for Information Integrity on Climate Change and urges governments to adopt the UN Global Principles for Information Integrity.
The Addis Declaration builds on commitments made at the first Africa Climate Summit in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire in 2024, where journalists adopted the Abidjan Declaration emphasising transparency in climate finance and greater involvement of the media in national climate policy.
This year’s declaration goes further, positioning the media as a “pillar of climate, peace and security, justice and just transition” and highlighting the risks journalists face due to limited resources, lack of data, and threats in conflict-affected areas.
It also calls on African governments, the AU, regional blocs, and international partners to act decisively by adopting policies that protect vulnerable communities, scale up accountable climate finance, and safeguard press freedom as part of wider resilience strategies.
The declaration concludes that “climate, peace and security is now one of the defining challenges of our time” and insists that only collective action grounded in justice and accurate communication can secure Africa’s future.
The Addis Ababa Declaration will be formally presented on Tuesday, September 9, during the second day of the Africa Climate Summit 2, which opened today at the Addis International Convention Center in Addis Ababa.
