Few days before the UNFCCC’s 31st Conference of the Parties in Antalya, Turkey, African civil society organisations continue to raise calls for climate justice and urge African governments to turn climate commitments into concrete and measurable actions. On October 29, 2026, in Morocco, organisations including AESVT -Morocco, the National Designated Platform in Morocco, and AMCDD and partners convened in a one-day meeting to discuss climate actions and how they should be effectively implemented. The discussions also focused on the role of youth in climate action, linking it to climate, health, biodiversity and development.
The meeting participants also drew recommendations ahead of COP31. Organisers of the event affirmed that meaningful participation must go beyond consultations and include young people in the design, implementation and evaluation of climate policies.
An ambitious goal to limit global warming is not a new point for discussion. It was first tabled at COP20 in Lima in 2014, and then in the Paris Agreement in 2015. At COP22 in Marrakech in 2016, it was discussed, and the conversation is not to be excluded from the upcoming COP31 in Antalya in Turkey. The common observation is that there is a gap between promises and implementation in terms of significance. It’s worth noting that the current projections suggest that global temperatures could rise by 25oC or more this century, which would be above the Paris Agreement 1.5o C. target.
Therefore, in this framework, AESVT-Morocco and AMCDD worked together with partners including PACJA at large and CAN to strengthen civil society participation in the related climate discussions. The national Pre-COP meeting aimed to bring CSOs, young people, and territorial actors together to develop common recommendations ahead of COP31.
In this meeting, participants identified 5 priorities for COP31, namely Climate Finance Justice, Stronger support for Adaptation, an equal transition, social justice and Territorial buy-in, and greater accountability.
It was stressed that, for Moroccan CSOs, the Antalya COP31 must move beyond declarations to strengthen transparency in tracking national climate commitments, improve early-warning systems and ensure that communities most exposed to climate risks have a decisive voice.