Africa-Press – Liberia. Environmental Rights Africa (ERA), a Pan-African coalition of more than 55 civil society organizations, has endorsed its newly elected Steering Committee (SC), solidifying a governance structure aimed at advancing a continent-wide environmental rights agreement and protecting defenders on the frontlines of the climate crisis.
The endorsement followed ERA’s General Membership Meeting on August 26, 2025, which came after the inaugural SC meeting on August 21. At that meeting, Ahmad Abdallah of the Egyptian Commission for Rights and Freedoms was elected Chairperson, while Guinea’s Saran Touré of Plaidoyer Recherche et Renforcement de Capacités des ONG was chosen as Co-Chairperson, ensuring gender, youth, and linguistic balance in the leadership.
The Steering Committee reflects ERA’s regional and thematic diversity. Regional focal points include Touré (West Africa), Walda Keza Shaka of Uganda (East Africa), Olivier Ndoole of DRC (Central Africa), Thuli Makama of Eswatini (Southern Africa), and Abdallah (North Africa).
Working Group leaders are: Paul Mulindwa (Outreach & Advocacy – CIVICUS), Emily Kinama (Case Studies – Katiba Institute, Kenya), Lucien Limacher (Defenders Emergency – Natural Justice, South Africa), Fiona Iliff (Technical Drafting – ABA, Zimbabwe), Wanjira Mathai, MD (Africa & Global Partnerships – WRI), and Philip Jakpor (Communications – Renevlyn Development Initiative, Nigeria). Francis Colee (Green Advocates, Liberia) serves as SC Secretary, while Alfred Brownell (USA/Liberia) is the Lead Campaigner.
In his acceptance speech, Abdallah pledged to keep communities and defenders at the center of ERA’s mission.
“Our struggle is not abstract — it is the struggle of farmers losing their crops to droughts, of coastal communities watching the sea rise, of indigenous people defending their sacred lands. It is the struggle of courageous defenders who face violence and intimidation for speaking truth to power,” he said. “Together, we will work for a binding African agreement to empower defenders, and to ensure environmental rights are not just aspirations, but realities.”
With support from international observers Joseph Burke and Elizabeth Moses of ALLIED, the SC will provide strategic direction, oversee ERA’s five-year plan, mobilize resources, and spearhead efforts for a legally binding African agreement recognizing the right to a healthy environment.
ERA’s Secretariat, based in Monrovia, is led by Peter Quaqua (MRU CSO Platform) as Head, supported by Clement Voule (former UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Association and Assembly) as Strategic Advisor, Dr. Tresor Makunya (University of Goma) as Legal and Policy Advisor, and Radiatu Kahnplaye (Green Advocates) as Finance Officer.
ERA’s Five-Year Strategy
ERA’s roadmap focuses on three core pillars: Coalition Building & Advocacy – Expanding alliances, strengthening governance, and building political momentum through outreach and events.
Research & Policy Development – Conducting 54 national case studies to document defenders’ realities, producing evidence-based continental reports.
Government Engagement & Negotiation – Initiating formal negotiations for a binding regional treaty, supported by technical expertise and advocacy campaigns.
ERA recently secured a USD 600,000 four-year grant from the Open Society Foundations. However, Lead Campaigner Brownell credited the coalition’s survival to members’ commitment:
“What sustained ERA was not resources, but the enthusiasm and voluntarism of our members who persevered despite daunting challenges. That energy has carried us here — and it will continue to drive us forward.”
Looking ahead, ERA is preparing for high-level advocacy at the African Climate Summit in Addis Ababa, the UN Humanitarian Conference (Sept 29–30 in Geneva), and the Global Peer Learning Conference in December in Kenya, alongside ongoing engagements with the African Union, African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, UNECA, and UNEP.
With new leadership and renewed momentum, ERA says it is ready to strengthen advocacy, deepen visibility, and unite Africa’s defenders under one powerful movement for justice, accountability, and environmental rights.
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