Developing Kenya's Position on Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KJWA) to COP26 in Glasgow
Joab Osumba(CCAFS)
At a recent webinar, scientists and senior government officers facilitated dialogue to develop Kenya's position on Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KJWA) under the auspices of Kenya's Climate-Smart Agriculture Multi-Stakeholder Platform (CSA MSP) with AGNES Africa Experts and AGN negotiators for the forthcoming CoP26 negotiations. Kenya CSA MSP is a network of organizations whose work is inclined towards climate-smart agriculture practices.
The Making of Global Climate Change Policy
Mr. Michael Okumu made the first presentation for the webinar. The opening presentation on what participants need to know about how the COP system works and the role of Parties and Observers. Mr. Okumu observed that Kenya had demonstrated a very favorable leadership position in global Climate Action and the UNFCCC COP negotiations process under the AGN/G77&China, including the submissions and updating of the NDC documents under the Paris Climate Agreement.
The Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KJWA) at COP26 in Glasgow
The second presentation was made by Mrs. Veronica Ndetu (CCU-MoALF&C) on Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KJWA). Veronica took the participants through the Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KJWA) and the latest developments in Kenya. In her presentation, Veronica explained the meaning, purpose, objectives, and process of KJWA, including the KJWA roadmap from 2018 to 2021. Veronica said that KJWA was adopted by the COP23 in Bonn in 2017 through decision 4/CP.23. The topics that were provided in the decision 4/CP.23 for KJWA are provided below:
Topics for the KJWA as per decision 4/CP.23 |
Under paragraph 2 of the KJWA, COP23 invited Parties and observers to submit, by 31 March 2018, their views on elements to be included in the work referred to in paragraph 1 of KJWA for consideration at the forty-eighth session of the subsidiary bodies (April–May 2018), starting with but not limited to the following: a) Modalities for implementation of the outcomes of the five in-session workshops on issues related to agriculture and other future topics that may arise from this work b) Methods and approaches for assessing adaptation, adaptation co-benefits, and resilience c) Improved soil carbon, soil health, and soil fertility under grassland and cropland as well as integrated systems, including water management d) Improved nutrient use and manure management towards sustainable and resilient agricultural systems e) Improved livestock management systems f) Socioeconomic and food security dimensions of climate change in the agricultural sector |
Country position and recommendation for COP26
Participants were to deliberate on the proposed options Kenya should take, based on the following three COP26 scenarios:
- Only formalize earlier online discussions and reports and postpone reporting to a next COP
- Reporting progress and outcomes of the KJWA
- Options for the future of KJWA
Developing Kenya's country position on Koronivia Joint Work on Agriculture (KJWA)
The third presentation was made by Mr. Joab Osumba (CGIAR-CCAFS) on developing the Kenya country position on KJWA. Joab presented Kenya's proposed position on the remaining issues around KJWA, which was to be pitched at COP26 for decision. In developing the country's position, stakeholders reviewed the reports produced and isolated possible activities/actionable areas, core implementation areas, gaps, and recommendations.
Around each of the six KJWA workstreams, Parties were to consider the following:
- Activities / actionable areas related to improved nutrient use and manure management
- Key elements and potential modalities for implementation
- Gaps/ Challenges Identified by the report
- Future topics for consideration under KJWA
- Report to COP26 on outcomes of the work
KJWA workstreams 2(a), 2(b), and 2(c) of decision 4/CP.23 had been discussed earlier, so the country position discussed in this session is for workstreams 2(d), 2(e), and 2(f) of decision 4/CP.23.
Based on the considerations made above, Kenya, therefore, is of the view that to enhance the progress of the KJWA work, beyond the road map, a COP decision is required either to:
- establish resources dedicated to agriculture within the financial mechanisms of the convention that countries can access through calls for proposals, or
- establish an agriculture-specific implementation institution/programme based on the KJWA workshop outcomes and any other topics to be discussed.
Closing Remarks and Future Outlook
The closing remarks, made by Veronica, observed that the presentations were beneficial. She underscored that the dialogue needed to continue for participants to finetune Kenya's position on the progress Kenya would want KJWA to take after COP26 and the proposed future topics for KJWA if the KJWA continues with KJWA under UNFCCC.
The detailed analysis needs to be encoded to ensure that what is proposed as future topics are not just different versions of what is already covered in the six (or the eight) topics covered in the 2018-2021 roadmap. They need to be new, uncharted areas and need to be well thought-through, as we also consider the scenario (or the option) Kenya would want KJWA to take.
Participants agreed to continue sharing their views on the MSP secretariat's various positions, consolidating and synthesizing the additional input for a more comprehensive positive country position paper before COP26. The secretariat created smaller groups to help consolidate and synthesize clear positions on each aspect of the draft position paper, to form a final country position before COP26.
