Africa4Resilience (A4R) is a regional Community of Practice that strengthens the capacity of national Communities of Practice (CoPs) in Africa. Our national CoPs bring together civil society organizations, community actors and strategic partners working to advance climate resilience, sustainability and inclusive policymaking. This paper draws on the COP17 priorities submitted by Kenya4Resilience (K4R), Uganda4Resilience (U4R) and Burkina Faso4Resilience (B4R). Together they convey a shared message from the Sahel to East Africa that biodiversity is the foundation of water security, food systems, public health, livelihoods and community resilience, and communities must be at the center of implementation.
A4R calls on governments to adopt a whole-of-society approach, bringing together national and sub-national governments, communities, civil society, researchers, faith and traditional institutions, development partners and the private sector, to turn biodiversity commitments into measurable results on the ground.