Child-centred civil society organizations (CSOs) have commended President Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera for taking to the 27^th Conference of Parties (CoP) resolutions children and young people made at their pre-COP summit in October last year.

President Chakwera himself opened a three-day National Children’s Summit on Climate Justice, which took place from 20 to 22 October, 2022, and brought together 300 children and youth to deliberate climate change impacts and input into Malawi’s Position Paper for Conference of Parties (COP27).

Save the Children in partnership with National Youth Network on Climate Change (NYNCC), Initiative for Climate Action and Development (ICAD) organized the summit to enable children share devastating impacts of climate change on their rights and their future.

President of the Children’s Parliament, 15-year-old Josephine, demanded that children and the youth should be given a voice on how the interventions are being implemented at the highest policymaking level.

“Thankfully, a pertinent step has been taken towards giving us children the opportunity to speak out on climate change related matters in as far as they affect us. This National Children’s Summit has afforded us the opportunity of a lifetime,” said Josephine.

President Chakwera assured that he would take the resolutions to COP27, a development that has excited CSOs in Malawi.

Speaking at the pre-28th Conference of Parties (COP28) summit for children and the youth, which took place at the Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR) on Wednesday, Save the Children Malawi Senior Advocacy, Campaigns, Communications and Media Manager, John Chipeta, said Chakwera is the first Head of State to live up to his word on the matter.

John Chipeta — Chipeta: President Chakwera lived to his promises

“This is very encouraging and we believe that the President will continue rallying behind the children and youth in their efforts to mitigate effects of climate change,” said Chipeta.

The Pre – COP28 summit on Climate Justice was organiz3eed by Civil Society Network on Climate Change (CISONECC), National Youth Network for Climate Change (NYNCC) and Joining Forces Partners (Save the Children, World Vision, Save the Children Plan Malawi, Child Fund, SOS Children’s Villages and Torres Des Hommes International Federation).

The overall goal of the two-day summit was to provide a platform for children, youth and CSOs to directly engage the government on Malawi Country Position towards COP28 and beyond and also deliberate on strategies on how children, youth and CSOs can be involved and supported to effectively and meaningfully participate in influencing decision-making processes before, during and after COP28 and other related processes, the summit shall also provide space to call for urgent and ambitious climate action and address climate injustices and inequalities exacerbated by climate change and disasters.