In a historic moment for Africa, the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP-Africa), in collaboration with the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), launched the Economic and Climate Justice Campaign on 17 April 2025.

Over 300 participants from civil society, social movements, faith actors, indigenous peoples, women, youth, trade unions, academia and private sector leaders gathered at the event held in Nairobi and online. It was a bold declaration of solidarity and collective power.

🎥 Watch the official launch video

Nuru Maro, GCAP Africa Regional Coordinator, moderated the event that focused on discussions on debt, reparations and structural reforms. She called for a shift “from awareness to action,” urging all to unite for Africa’s transformation.

“This is not just a campaign; it is a collective awakening to rewrite the rules and demand a system that supports billions of people, not billionaires. Economic justice is reparative justice — about dignity, opportunity and dismantling unjust systems,” underlined Nuru.

A Mobilised Continent Speaks

The launch proved that the campaign resonates deeply across the continent. Speakers from communities, youth, farmers, labourers and women’s movements echoed a unified call: “Enough is Enough.”

Key organisations represented included PACJA, AFRODAD, Oxfam Africa, ActionAid, FEMNET, Amnesty International, African Union Commission, UN Pact of the Future Office, African Development Bank and many others.

“This campaign is for Africa and the world. When Africa rises, we all rise. Economic and climate justice are obligations to future generations.”
— Aminata Barry, GCAP Co-Chair

“We cannot ignore deep inequalities fueled by unjust debts. Justice starts with listening to the silenced.”
— Jane Anyango, GCAP Kenya.

“We have been advocating for a long time to reduce the dominance of the IMF and the World Bank in economic governance. let’s also work on creating a coherent and coordinated narrative in the language we use.”
— Jason Braganza, Executive Director, AFRODAD

“The debt crisis is not an abstraction; it is a humanitarian crisis. Many countries spend more on debts than on health and education.”
— Dr. Mithika Mwenda, Executive Director, PACJA

“Africa holds a wealth of untapped mineral resources, but their true value lies not merely in extraction—but in ensuring just and equitable benefits from the mine to the market. From the pit to the product, economic justice must prevail at every step.”
— Dr. Olufonso Somorin, Principal Regional Officer, African Development Bank

“No single country possesses all the minerals required for battery production—collaboration is essential. The ECA proudly supports forward-looking initiatives that promote regional integration, shared value and sustainable industrialisation.”
— John Sloan, Economist, UNECA

“A just transition cannot be achieved within an unjust economic system. We must advocate for debt cancellation and justice-aligned finance.”
— Eugene Nforngwa, Just Thematic Lead, Just Transition & Energy Access

“We need to advocate for a change in the system that works in our favour and refocus the World Bank’s projects for climate action.”
— Martha Bekele, Co-founder, DevTransform

Moving Forward

The conversations did not end on April 17. The follow-up virtual session held on April 29, 2025, served to ground the campaign’s priorities and strategise for the road ahead. Constituencies reaffirmed their commitment to take ownership and drive national, regional and global advocacy.

Constituencies pledged to:

– Link African demands to the African Union Year of Reparations and global spaces.
– Establish national focal points to localise the campaign.
– Amplify voices in global negotiations.

The Sign-On Statement: Our Declaration

The campaign’s sign-on statement emphasizes:

– Cancel the Debt — no strings attached.
– Change the System — demand democratic global financial reform.
– Choose Hope and Justice — tax the super-rich, guarantee services, and promote a just transition.

While launching the campaign in Africa incited the region, we now look forward to the next milestone: signing a global statement on economic justice that will unite voices from the South and North to demand transformation at scale.

This campaign is not a one-off event. It is a movement that will shape future. GCAP invites all networks, civil society organisations, governments, media and global allies to join hands as we continue this journey.

Together, we will resist. Together, we will win. Together, we will change the system—for billions, not billionaires.

Sign the statement to support the movement: https://forms.gle/T7yWPBPeuZ9Rs9oq7

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