Power Our Planet, Mia Mottley, President Ruto and the Paris Financing Summit
A quick recap following last week's Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, any my quick analysis
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Last Thursday night, in a sea of 24,000 people, and against the backdrop of the Eiffel Tower, Global Citizen lit up the Champs de Mars with the Power Our Planet: Live in Paris event. This was taking place during President Macron’s Summit for a New Global Financing Pact.
The event featured voices from 11 inspiring youth climate activists, as well as Global South Leaders PM Mottley of Barbados (who also served as co-chair of the campaign), President Ruto of Kenya, President Lula of Brazil, and President Ramos-Horta of Timor Leste, in a pre recorded video message, who all gathered to demand justice on behalf of the world’s climate vulnerable countries.
It was a night full of inspiring moments. Ajay Banga, President of the World Bank, took to the stage alongside PM Mottley to announce a fundamental shift in the World Bank's policies, in light of the impacts of the climate crisis on developing countries. One specific measure was the inclusion of debt clauses in future loan agreements.
In addition, WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and Africa Director of Oxfam International, Fati N’Zi-Hassane, reiterated the linkages between climate and healthcare, calling for leaders to invest in strengthening healthcare systems as part of efforts to address the climate crisis. We also heard from Sabrina Elba, who emphasized the need to invest in smallholder farmers, with a call to action to mobilize $10 billion ahead of IFAD’s December replenishment.
A tentpole moment of the Power Our Planet campaign, this event coincided with Macron’s Summit for a New Global Financing Pact, which, as it wrapped last week, has overall failed to deliver on the urgent solutions needed to save our planet.
This disappointment will only serve to fuel us further, as we gear up for our September festival in New York, as well as at other key multilateral moments throughout the year, including the G20 and COP28.
If you weren’t able to join Global Citizen in Paris, I’ll be sending out additional information later this week. Until then, you can see the full press release from the event here, as well as a statement put together by Power artists in response to the summit’s disappointment here.
Here are some additional highlights:
1/ My Analysis on those leaders who stepped up and those who fell short
You can check out the full article here. While positive reforms and debt progress were highlighted, the complexities of US climate aid and G7 inaction raised concerns. Prime Minister Mottley's remarkable win with natural disaster debt clauses and President Ruto's vision for climate action were notable highlights. President Macron's bridge-building efforts fostered unity, but the lack of ambition and clarity from certain G7 leaders fell short. Looking ahead, the Paris Summit sets the stage for future milestones, urging G7 leaders, especially the US, to seize the opportunity for substantial progress and address pressing global challenges.
2/ Global Citizen’s Policy Scorecard
You can find attached a policy scorecard we put together and also find a summary here.
3/ How The Global South Has Tired of the West
Ahead of the Paris Summit, I wrote this article with Dino Patti Djalal, previously Indonesia's ambassador to the U.S., and founder and chairman of the Foreign Policy Community of Indonesia. This concerns how the relationship between the West and Global South can be repaired with the fulfillment of past promises and more sincerity.
4/ Introducing my debut podcast episode: Unveiling the Untold Story of a World on the Brink.
Join me as we journey back 80+ years to an era marked by the failure of global governance and the menacing rise of fascism. Don't miss this captivating exploration of a pivotal moment in history that still resonates today. #PodcastDebut #UntoldStory #GlobalGovernance #FascismThreat
5/ Other Verdicts
Check out this particularly compelling podcast from the China in Africa podcast which goes a little into depth on some of the context from the recent Paris summit.
Thank you again to all who supported this campaign! We will be in touch later this week with additional information.
Warmly
Mick