Macky Sall, the President of Senegal and chief of the African Union, together with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi, have criticised the failure of developed countries to attend the African Adaptation Summit held in Rotterdam on 5 September. In the opening remarks, Sall stated: “I cannot fail to note with a touch of bitterness the absence of the leaders of the industrialised world.” The Dutch Prime Minister was the only developed country leader to attend, with notable absences by leaders from France, Norway, Denmark, Canada and Finland. Ministers and some high level officials from these countries did however attend the meeting. The summit sought to support Africa in responding to climate change, and brought together the African Union, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the African Development Bank, the Africa Adaptation Initiative, the Climate Vulnerable Forum, as well as the Global Center on Adaptation. One of the hopes of the summit was to raise pledges of approximately $250 million in capitalisation for the region’s flagship Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) .
