AU-PSC: Morocco calls for census, registration of climate change refugees in Africa

Morocco has called for conducting a census and registration of refugees and displaced persons victim of climate change in Africa, and their protection from any kind of exploitation.

The call was launched by Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the African Union and UNECA, Mohamed Arrouchi, Thursday during a meeting of the AU Peace and Security Council (PSC) on the theme “Climate Change, Peace and Security in Africa”.

The Moroccan diplomat stressed the imperative to conduct the census and registration of refugees and displaced persons victims of climate change in Africa, calling for their protection from any kind of exploitation.

He expressed concern over the increasing disproportionate impacts of climate change on Africa and the challenges posed to the socio-economic development of the continent.

The Moroccan delegation to this session called for a comprehensive approach to address the challenges posed by climate change and which interfere with peace and security on our continent.

It stressed in this context the need to continue to support and strengthen the three climate commissions established at the COP22 held in Marrakech in 2016, in order to facilitate the implementation of the Paris Agreement throughout Africa, focusing on the Sahel region, the Congo Basin and African island states.

The delegation, which recalled that the number of refugees is likely to reach 250 million people due to climate change, called for the implementation of the relevant decisions of the conference which request the AU Commission to ensure the civilian character of the camps, the protection, census and registration of refugees and displaced persons and their protection against any form of exploitation.