Official ARC Press Release
The African Risk Capacity prepares for its Fifteenth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP15) in Kigali, Rwanda from 28- 29 April 2025
The African Risk Capacity is preparing for the 15th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15). This important sitting, to be help from 28 – 29 April 2025 in Kigali, Rwanda, will convene Senior Government Officials, donor partners, and other stakeholders, underscoring Africa’s commitment to innovative climate resilience and disaster risk management, and the critical role of ARC in supporting the continental agenda.
The two-day meeting will start with a high-level gathering of Senior Government Officials on 28 April to discuss and deliberate on critical issues facing ARC, including financial sustainability, strategic priorities, and the election of ARC Group Director General This will be followed by a Ministerial Session on 29 April, during which Ministers will consider the report of the Senior Government Officials and take decisions on key matters related to ARC.
The COP serves as the supreme decision-making authority of the ARC Group, with responsibility to grant final approval on critical strategic matters that define the organisation’s operations after review and endorsement by the Board. Participation in the COP includes all member states that have signed, ratified, or acceded to the ARC Treaty.
COP15 comes at a critical time when the ARC Group is working to scale up its operations towards increasing its reach and impact across the African continent. However, the organisation must navigate a tough operating landscape, characterised by an escalating climate crisis, growing incidence of disease outbreaks and persistent funding shortfalls that hinder the implementation of vital workstreams. These compounding pressures underscore the urgent need for coordinated action and resource mobilisation to address Africa’s growing vulnerability, while addressing the needs of critical instruments such as ARC.
This is also a critical time for Africa, a continent disproportionately impacted by climate change. While African nations are working to advance climate action across all sectors, persistent resource constraints hinder progress. The continent is grappling to recover from recent events such as the historic 2024 El-Nino-drive southern African drought, the widespread flooding events in the Sahel region and parts of southern Africa, and the multiple public health emergencies across the continent – to name but a few. These extremes continue to devastate food systems, severely affect lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable, and erode hard-won development gains, leaving millions facing acute insecurity.
ARC Agency was established under the Agreement for the Establishment of the ARC Agency (ARC Treaty) as a Specialized Agency of the AU in 2012, with a mandate to help Member States improve their capacities to better plan, prepare and respond to weather-induced events and disease outbreaks. ARC Limited, the financial affiliate of the Group, was established in 2014 to provide risk pooling and risk transfer services to member states. But limited resources are impacting the Group’s ability to deliver on its mandate.
As the ARC Group works to increase its footprint across the continent, the organisation looks forward to outcomes from the COP15 to shape and grow this African organisation.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Michele Karambiri
ARC’s Head of Communications
Mob: +27 (0) 76 222 7276
Michele.karambiri@arc.int / Michele.karambiri@wfp.org
https://www.arc.int
About the African Risk Capacity (ARC)
African Risk Capacity (ARC) Group consists of ARC Agency and ARC Insurance Company Limited (ARC Ltd). ARC Agency was established in 2012 as a Specialised Agency of the African Union to help the member states to strengthen their capacities to better plan, prepare and respond to climate-related disasters and disease outbreaks. ARC Ltd, the financial affiliate of the Group, is a mutual insurance facility responsible for providing risk transfer services to the member states through risk pooling and access to reinsurance markets.
For more information, please visit: www.arc.int
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