Researcher Vitória Gonzalez, from Plataforma CIPÓ, played a prominent role at the United Nations Civil Society Conference (UNCSC), held from May 9th to 10th in Nairobi, Kenya. During the “ImPACT Coalition on International Finance Architecture Financing for Development (IFA-FfD)” session on Friday, May 10th, she addressed a packed audience alongside influential figures.
Present were Moussa Mara, former Prime Minister of Mali, ambassadors Neville Gertze from Namibia, Henriette Geiger from the European Union, and Cristina Díaz Fernández-Gil from Spain, along with individuals from other civil society organizations. The opening was conducted by Agustina Briano, Coordinator of Development and Outreach at the Club de Madrid.
The event focused on the urgency of enhancing global financing to drive development and reform the international financial architecture. Representatives from various organizations, including the Open Society Foundation, the Kenya National Farmers Federation (KENAFF), the African Development Bank, and the Cuban Association of the United Nations (ACNU), presented concrete recommendations to address these challenges.
Gonzalez emphasized CIPÓ’s role in the T20 Brazil task force on climate action, underscoring the importance of ensuring means of implementation (in terms of financing, capacity building, and technology transfer) for a just transition, particularly considering countries in the Global South.
In this session, she stressed the importance of better coordination to achieve the “Mission 1.5”. Two proposals put forth by Plataforma CIPÓ were to establish a permanent body within the G20 for climate action and to establish a permanent facility to promote regular dialogue between this body, the COP Presidencies Troika, representatives of IFIs, and ECOSOC.
Also on Friday, the researcher served as rapporteur for the “Impact Coalition on Inclusive Global Governance” and participated in the Closing Town Hall and the Closing Session, among other relevant meetings and gatherings.
The day before, Gonzalez was one of the speakers at the workshop “Inclusive Global Governance: from Ideas to Action”. David Levaï (Iswe Foundation), Aishwarya Machani (Iswe Foundation), Andreas Bummel (Democracy without Borders), and Jesselina Rana (CIVICUS) also sat at the table. On that occasion, the researcher highlighted the window of opportunity for greater civil society participation in spaces such as the G20 and COP30, and presented the 1for8Billion Campaign, with a view to the next selection process for the UN Secretary-General.
Vitória Gonzalez is a member, representing CIPÓ, of the UNCSC experts subcommittee. One of the group’s main responsibilities is to support the consolidation of ImPACT Coalitions related to the Pact for the Future.
UNCSC officially ended on Friday, May 10th, but our work in defense of climate justice and a more democratic global governance, whether in Kenya or Brazil, continues.
