The Greening Judiciaries in Africa Regional Symposium is ongoing in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital. The symposium, which is the third of its kind, follows previous events held in Johannesburg and Mozambique in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
Kenyan President William Ruto while addressing delegates at the symposium on Monday, called for concerted action by African nations to win the war on climate change. Ruto noted that the continent is disproportionately affected by the adverse impacts of climate change, emphasising the urgent need for African countries to come together and tackle the issue head-on. He further stated that the institutional reconfigurations and economic resets that would emerge from the structural change will establish Africa not only as the continent of the future but also as the world’s green economic superpower. He stressed the need for African countries to take advantage of this opportunity by investing in sustainable practices and technologies that will propel the continent towards a greener and more prosperous future.
Also at the symposium in Nairobi, Kenya’s Chief Justice, Martha Koome emphasised the importance of addressing climate change, which has adversely affected the health of people and the economy, and altered the way we live. She urged everyone to prioritise discussions on how to green the spaces humans occupy and how to use the courts to make decisions that safeguard the environment. The event was aimed at building capacity among judicial officers and other stakeholders to effectively address environmental issues through the courts and establishing Africa as the world’s green economic superpower.
The symposium was attended by judges, magistrates, legal practitioners, and environmental experts from various African countries, who shared their knowledge and experiences in addressing environmental challenges in their respective jurisdictions. It is hoped that such efforts will contribute to the development of a robust legal framework that will facilitate the protection and sustainable management of the environment in Africa.