The African Risk Capacity presents its work to Pan African Parliamentarians during the Fourth Session of the Sixth Legislature
On 5 December 2024, we were privileged to present the ARC Group to the Fourth Session of the Sixth Legislature of the Pan African Parliament (PAP) in Johannesburg. The PAP, which brings together Members of Parliament from all 55 African countries, provided a significant platform to discuss the ARC programme, the collaborative opportunities we have to enhance Africa's climate resilience, and the challenges we face.
As a Specialised Agency of the African Union mandated to work with member states to help them plan, prepare and respond to weather-induced threats and disease outbreaks, the session was pivotal in underscoring the critical role ARC could play in bolstering and complementing country-led strategies for all 55 countries. By leveraging our innovative tools and solutions, ARC ensures that the most vulnerable populations are protected during extreme disasters. Our comprehensive suite of services, encompassing capacity building, early warning systems, risk pooling, and risk transfer mechanisms, has demonstrated its effectiveness in facilitating robust response efforts.
During the event, we highlighted the significant impact ARC has made to date, demonstrating our effective interventions in Member States in facilitating timely, gender-sensitive disaster responses. ARC payouts have been particularly instrumental in providing rapid finance to fund early response initiatives, preventing household from resorting to negative coping mechanisms.
“The ARC capacity building programme has been key in strengthening governments’ preparedness to respond to extreme climate event, and we paid out close to $220 million in claims following either drought or tropical cyclone events in countries, enabling countries to reach their most affected with speed,” said Ms. Eva Grace Kavuma, ARC’s Interim Group Director General.
During the event, we demonstrated how ARC has grown since being founded in 2012, showcasing the growth in our product range to cover croup and rangeland drought, tropical cyclone, flood, and outbreaks and epidemics, as well as non-sovereign offering. ARC is working to scale up its operations and increase our reach and impact on the continent.
The event highlighted the critical role that Parliamentarians can play in advancing ARC's vision, as we strive to further strengthen our resilience. As we strengthen our climate response action, Parliamentarians can advocate for instruments such as ARC towards building resilient communities that can thrive and adapt to the new climate conditions.
“Growth in our membership and ratification of the ARC Treaty is very important to our sustainability. We need your support to ensure that we can fully contribute to the continental agenda by supporting countries in their resilience strategies,” said Dr. Mothae Anthony Maruping, ARC Group Board Chairperson. He also advocated for
Our day at PAP culminated with ARC hosting a dinner for the parliamentarians, an event that allowed us to further engage and cemented our status as an integral member of the African Union family.