By Mabinty M. Kamara
The Commonwealth Secretary-General Patricia Scotland QC has assured of the Commonwealth’s support to Sierra Leone to ensure climate change adaptation and mitigate its effects on the nation.
“We have created the Commonwealth climate finance access hub. We are helping our member states to make successful applications to the green fund and other funds to obtain money for adaptation,” she said.
Speaking at a press conference held at Statehouse in Freetown, Madam Scotland said that Sierra Leone remains one of the most vulnerable countries in the world faced with the effects of climate change and for which she said they will provide the necessary technical support, financial assistance and collaboration to ensure the country adapt to the effects of climate change and mitigate the effects where possible.
She noted that they have already granted 44 million dollars to their member countries and that there are 750 million dollars more worth of projects for their member states to tap into, saying that 71 percent of those funds goes into adaptions. “We know that we have to adapt as well as mitigate,” she said.
She added that they were working on creating a universal vulnerability index so that donors understand the multiple layers of vulnerability when giving Development Assistance to countries like Sierra Leone with low GDP ratios.
“The issues that Sierra Leone is facing are in many ways very similar to those that are faced by the other 53 countries. So one of the most critical issues that we are facing globally is that of climate change. So this climate crisis is evident in this peaceful country. Issues relating to the sea level, issues relating to afforestation, draught, water. All of these are things which have been identified as of utmost importance to Sierra Leone,” she said.
The QC commended Sierra Leone’s government approach in curtailing the COVID-19 pandemic and as well as the abolition of the death penalty. He said the Commonwealth of Nations will continue to support Sierra Leone through educational programmes, and other areas related to women, governance, trade and the youth.
Speaking at the event, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mamadie Ngpobeh Kamara said since the Secretary-General visited the country, she has had a number of meetings with different government ministers such as Gender, Education, Development, etc. and that the climax of such meetings was the one she had with President Julius Maada Bio at Statehouse before the press briefing. She noted that the Commonwealth of Nations has supported the country in a number of ways but that there was a need for more. She hoped for a strengthened relationship between the country and the Commonwealth.
Speaking at the meeting with Sierra Leone’s President, Scotland said: “Mr. President I must commend you and the Health Ministry for the steps taken so far to keep the country safe during this pandemic. Commendable is the low rate of the spread of the disease. I also want to commend and congratulate you for what you are doing for women since you became President. Commonwealth will continue to work with Sierra Leone to achieve the SDGs”.
In his response, President Bio thanked the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth for her visit amid the Coronavirus, saying that Sierra Leone always had a good working relationship with the commonwealth. He noted that the commonwealth is a relevant actor to the development of the country and that they had always been helpful to the country.
President Bio assured that his government was genuinely serious about developing the country and lifting the people out of poverty, in order to make Sierra Leone a progressive and liberal nation.
“We remain grateful to the Commonwealth for the technical support, we look forward to a great Commonwealth. Thank you very much,” he concluded.
Patricia Scotland QC is the 6th Commonwealth Secretary-General. She was born in Dominican Republic and was their candidate for the post at theCommonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Malta in 2015.
She is the 2nd Secretary-General from the Caribbean and the 1st woman to hold the post.
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