As the global climate community looks ahead to COP31, African negotiators and technical experts are preparing to engage on a number of critical issues that will shape climate action and implementation across the continent.
On 8–9 October 2026, the African Group of Negotiators Experts Support (AGNES), in collaboration with partners including the African Group of Negotiators (AGN), the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD), UNFCCC Regional Collaboration Centres (RCCs), UN Women, the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT (ABC), CARE Denmark, and the CGIAR Gender Equality and Social Inclusion, will convene the Pre-COP31 AGNES Strategy Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. The meeting will provide a platform for African negotiators, experts and practitioners to reflect on outstanding matters from the June 2026 climate negotiations in Bonn and strengthen coordination ahead of SB65 and COP31.
Following SB64 in Bonn, discussions on agriculture and food security, the Global Goal on Adaptation, adaptation finance and gender remain particularly relevant for African countries and will continue into SB65 and COP31. Further, attention is also increasingly shifting from negotiations to implementation of COP decisions. As these discussions move forward, Africa’s engagement will be critical in shaping how these decisions are carried into practice. This means not only participating effectively in the negotiations but also ensuring that global decisions reflect the continent’s realities, implementation needs and development priorities.
Five priority areas
Over the two-day strategy meeting, participants will work around five key areas:
- Agriculture and Food Security
- Global Goal on Adaptation
- Adaptation Finance
- Gender
- Oceans
Through technical presentations, breakout discussions and plenary sessions, participants will examine the outcomes of SB64, identify outstanding issues for COP31 and develop common positions and strategic approaches for advancing African priorities.
The meeting will also provide an opportunity to strengthen the connection between global climate negotiations and national implementation. Participants will review Africa-focused frameworks and knowledge products aimed at supporting climate negotiations and the translation of COP decisions into practical action. These knowledge products include work on the domestication of the Belém Gender Action Plan, alignment between the CAADP Kampala Declaration and GGA indicators, and terminology across the agriculture, food systems, and agrifood systems.
Building a coordinated African approach
Effective African engagement at COP31 will require strong technical preparation, coordination and a shared understanding of what is at stake across the different negotiation tracks. The Pre-COP31 AGNES Strategy Meeting is therefore intended to create space for African negotiators and experts to interrogate the issues, consolidate technical perspectives and strengthen a coordinated approach ahead of COP31.
Looking Ahead
The meeting is expected to conclude with key messages, a common position and a shared approach on agriculture, the Global Goal on Adaptation, adaptation finance, gender and oceans ahead of COP31. It will also support the refinement of Africa-focused knowledge products, including guidance on the domestication of the Belém Gender Action Plan in Africa, the integration of the CAADP Kampala Declaration with GGA indicators, and clearer terminology across the agriculture space, including agriculture and food security, food systems and agrifood systems