The African Group of Negotiators Experts Support (AGNES) has been officially accredited as an Observer Organization to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), following a decision made at the Sixty-third Session of the Panel (Decision IPCC-LXIII-3), held in Lima, Peru, 27 – 30 October 2025.
Over the years, AGNES has played a pivotal role in strengthening Africa’s voice within the IPCC process. We have convened strategic sessions for African experts, facilitated outreach webinars, and supported national focal points to enhance African participation in IPCC assessment cycles. Our efforts have particularly focused on ensuring that Africa’s priorities—such as climate-resilient agriculture, human security, adaptation financing, and urban transitions—are clearly reflected in the evolving architecture of IPCC Working Groups and Special Reports.
Ahead of the Seventh Assessment Report (AR7), AGNES organized pre-scoping meetings to align continental priorities and ensure they were robustly represented during the official IPCC scoping process. As a result of this coordinated advocacy, the outcome of the AR7 scoping process was overwhelmingly positive, with over 90% of Africa’s priorities successfully reflected in the final outlines. Furthermore, there has been a notable increase in the number of African authors participating in AR7—demonstrating the tangible impact of AGNES and its partners in promoting regional representation in global climate science. This recognition positions AGNES for further active engagement in the IPCC processes, contribute to its assessment reports, and strengthen Africa’s representation in global climate science and policy discourse.
Observer status is not merely symbolic but formally recognizes AGNES as a trusted contributor to the scientific and technical discourse shaping the world’s most authoritative climate assessments. This opens the door to support the broader mission of co-producing science that is policy-relevant, inclusive, and reflective of Africa’s priorities.
This accreditation affirms our long-standing commitment in driving evidence-based climate action in the African continent.
With this new status, AGNES will further intensify its efforts to:
- Support African experts to engage meaningfully in IPCC scoping, authorship and Review processes within the AR7 and other cycles;
- Facilitate sub-regional dialogues and position papers ahead of panel meetings and report reviews;
- Strengthen support to IPCC focal points to effectively participate in the Cycle and also linking them to our growing expert database
- And advance inclusive climate science diplomacy that integrates African knowledge systems and experiences.
We extend our deepest gratitude to the IPCC Secretariat for recognizing AGNES’s contributions and potential. As we designate our official IPCC focal point and prepare for future engagements, we reaffirm our commitment to co-creating a just, equitable, and scientifically grounded climate future for Africa and the world.