From UNGA to COP29: How Inclusive Dialogue can shape our World

“Change in the world starts from the individual’ (Destiny Afu)

Our recent DialogueON event ‘From the UN General Assembly 79 to COP29’ demonstrated that active participation and forums for dialogue do hold the potential to change the world. Joined by our two fantastic speakers, Destiny Afu and Marco Yeung, our audience engaged in productive dialogue on the involvement of civil society in international negotiations. 

Destiny gave a thorough presentation on what can be done to reform the UNGA and how we can better meet the challenges of the world today. With the increasing climate devastation, particularly in his country Cameroon, there has to be a new approach on global governance. Crucial to this is inclusion. Destiny stressed that international dialogue and cooperation is more important than ever. Civil society needs to push for collaboration opportunities and prevent paralysis within the system.

Marco provided a forward-looking account on climate finance ahead of COP29. From his years in sustainable debt finance markets and involvement in CarbonCare InnoLab, he will be attending COP to support discussions on the climate transition. Marco highlighted the need for a new funding goal post-2025 and exposed the budget challenges, particularly for adaptation and the Lost & Damage fund. This year’s COP is a critical year. Despite the ongoing disagreement between parties, Marco remains hopeful for progress.

The dialogue part followed with the same spirit of possibility. Both Destiny and Marco expressed their positivity for cooperation in the face of globalized challenges. Forums such as DialogueON open conversations and civil society participation.

One participant, Cyrus, spoke of the importance of a youth perspective and the growing need for advocacy. The audience agreed that change is driven by grassroots organizations. Marco emphasized that youth participation is the future, not the past. Historically, civil society has been marginalized from international politics but there is increasing consensus on the importance of observers and advocacy groups at events like COP29.

The event ended with a call for more forums of dialogue and education, highlighting the importance of active participation. Often individuals are scared to speak up, but we are global citizens in an increasingly interconnected world. The UNGA79 and Summit of the Future outcome documents demonstrated this. Now, we need to see the same spirit of cooperation and dialogue at COP only days away.

~Naomi Lea

How can businesses be socially responsible? We have now figured out!

Summary of DialogueON Corporate Social Responsibility

Our DialogueON event on ‘Corporate Social Responsibility’ drew our highest attendance and opened diverse discussions on the ethics of business practices. We were joined by two keynote speakers; David K. Awusi and Abiola l. Agnontcheme, who reflected on company accountability towards communities and the environment.

David centred his dialogue on how businesses may build a stronger sense of social acceptance. A significant concern raised is that greenwashing is a facade of environmental responsibility without substantive action. Using the case of pineapple production in Ghana, David remarks how the industry is tainted by child labour. This example highlights the broader necessity for businesses to understand their impact on people, profit and the planet.

Abiola’s dialogue stressed the importance of initiatives like Africa 50, which focus on sustainable business models and prioritise climate projects, particularly in promoting affordable and clean energy. The need for making CSR and ESG goals measurable was also considered as the issue of company tax evasion calls on the need to tackle corruption as a critical step towards social responsibility. 

The dialogue followed with a series of discussion questions to all participants, who expressed the view that we should empower communities to hold businesses accountable. Grassroots initiatives were brought up, like David’s ‘Speak Up’ project that aims to educate young people to become citizen journalists, enabling them to report on corruption by using visual and auditory evidence. This is vital for pressuring companies to be more transparent and responsible.

The event concluded with a call to action, emphasising the use of boycotts and social media to mobilise public opinion and expose companies engaging in unethical practices. The overarching message was clear: CSR is a shared responsibility, requiring collective efforts to drive meaningful change. 

~Sophie Kumar

Open Dialogues on Climate Change APPLICATIONS are open!

Apply now to share your climate journey with Open Dialogues International Foundation! We welcome projects from all backgrounds, nationalities and ages. Help us become a part of the change that is happening in the world today.

Let’s empower others to fight climate change!

APPLICATIONS SHUT: 7th April 2024

What is ODCC?

Climate change is real, and it is an emergency. For 28 years members of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change have negotiated our common future during the Conferences of Parties, but we have noticed that there is an insufficient level of social dialogue between the government and society in different countries around the world between these COPs. The aim of the Open Dialogues on Climate Change (ODCC) is to organize inclusive dialogues between stakeholders concerning the climate crisis.

ODCC in the past?

As part of the first edition of the ODCC in 2021, more than 200 people joined our team and 13 Open Dialogues happened in 8 countries on 3 continents. The second edition in 2022 focused on the continent of Africa, featuring 4 Open Dialogues on this continent, along with one in Europe. The 2023 edition of the ODCC, coordinated by the Open Dialogues International Foundation, was a tremendous success, with 57 Dialogues being organized by 24 teams in 20 countries across 4 continents: Africa, Asia, Europe, and South America.

How to apply?

Being a country organizer is an opportunity to work directly with the global coordination as a volunteer and benefit from technical support for the success of your event once selected. We encourage you to promote the values of equality, public participation, climate justice, and solidarity, while raising ecological awareness, promoting sustainable development, and climate education. 

To apply, you need to find other people interested in your climate and sustainability project. Once together, you can plan your Open Dialogues and submit an application form to the international team here at ODIF. When your application is accepted, your team will officially become an ODCC national team and you will be set to start organizing your event!

To apply:

Please find the application form here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdbaAm1tL7XsVGYNxnrLuLfq2Nrhiuzuxp-ZrsfBqS_Hcu8jg/viewform

For more information:

Details - https://www.open-dialogues.org/open-dialogues-on-climate-change

FAQs - https://www.open-dialogues.org/odcc-faq 

How to organize - https://www.open-dialogues.org/organize-an-open-dialogue

~Naomi Lea