Global Changemaker Academy
for Parliamentarians (G-CAP)

About G-CAP

Last Year's Speakers

H.E. Carlos Alvarado Quesada

- 48th President of Costa Rica

Dr. Ibrahim Thiaw

- Under-Secretary-General & Executive Secretary, UNCCD

Ms. Andrea Meza Murrillo

- Deputy Executive Secretary, UNCCD

Dr. Musonda Mumba

- Secretary General, Convention on Wetlands

Dr. Shashi Tharoor

- Member of Parliament, India, Author and Former Under- Secretary, UN

Dr. Arjoon Suddhoo

- Deputy Secretary General, Commonwealth Secretariat

Dr. Nick Brown

- Botanist and Principal of Linacre College, Oxford

Dr. Iyenemi Ibimina Kakulu

- River State University, Nigeria

Dr. Ian Brettell

- Biodiversity Policy Officer, ETH Zurich

Dr. Leland Werden

- Biodiversity Expert, ETH Zurich

Ms. Anali Bustos

- Co-Chair, Generation Restoration Youth Hub, Buenos Aires

Mr. Paul Gallagher

- Journalist

Mr. Rex Merrifield

- Journalist

"Society should pay for the services nature provides. Carbon storage. Hydrology. Protection from flooding. Protection of biodiversity and landscapes. Costa Rica demonstrates that can be reversed… making it profitable…. Get used to being alone when you want to change the world."

- H.E. Carlos Alvarado Quesada, 48th President of Costa Rica

Last Year's Delegates

Hon. Abdoulie Ceesay

- Gambia

Hon. Abreham Berta Aneseyee

- Ethopia

Hon. Sumana Shrestha

- Nepal

Hon. Joakim Järrebring

- Sweden

Hon. Amar Patnaik

- India

Hon. Anna Tarhata Basman

- Philippines

Hon. Blessing Chigeru Amadi

- Nigeria

Hon. Deoroop Teemal

- Trinidad and Tobago

Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare

- Ghana

Hon. Emmanuel Marfo

- Ghana

Hon. Esther Jailosi Jolobala

- Malawi

Hon. Eustache Akpov

- Benin

Hon. Hamida Ali Kibwana

- Kenya

Hon. Herlinde Lucia Tjiveze

- Namibia

Hon. Jacquiline Amongin

- Uganda

Hon. Juma Zacharia Jonga

- South Sudan

Hon. Nafisa Shah

- Pakistan

Hon. Neema Kichiki Lugangira

- Tanzania

Hon. Nimat Mahamat Barka

- Chad

Hon. Oliver Bamenju Agho

- Cameroon

Hon. Prathapan T Narayanan

- India

Hon. Priyanka Chaturvedi

- India

Hon. Radjendrekoemar Debie

- Suriname

Hon. Rosa Galvez

- Canada

Hon. Sahar Albazar

- Egypt

Hon. Sunday Chilufya Chanda

- Zambia

Hon. Tanvir Shakil Joy

- Bangladesh

Hon. Toshima Karki

- Nepal

Hon. Twaambo Mutinta Elvis

- Zambia

Introduction

In a collaborative effort, the Coordination Office of the G20 Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation (G20 GLI) and the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC) joined forces to address the pressing challenge of unsustainable land management. This collaboration birthed the Global Changemaker Academy for Parliamentarians (G-CAP), a pioneering platform designed to empower legislators globally.

G-CAP's mission is to instill a sense of urgency in protecting and managing land resources, fostering champions for sustainable land management, restoration and conservation at the national level. Through policy reinforcement and capacity building, G-CAP aims to complement the G20 Global Initiative's overarching goal: to prevent, halt and reverse land degradation, with a target to reduce degraded land by 50 percent by 2040.

Vision and Purpose

G-CAP aims to:

  • Acknowledge the urgent need for a sustainable land restoration agenda to address global crises and meet national priorities.
  • Provide a platform to reflect on the nuanced trade-offs involved in land conservation, maintenance and restoration, emphasizing the necessity of robust policy support for lasting transformation.
  • Spread awareness of global approaches to land restoration, drawing insights from both peer experiences and notable successes and failures worldwide.
  • To encourage participants to actively advocate for and contribute to the enhancement of national policies, aligning with the objectives of the G20 Global Initiative on Reducing Land Degradation and Enhancing Conservation of Terrestrial Habitats.
  • Join a dedicated Community of Practice on our Social Learning Platform, fostering life long learning through peer exchange and access to latest resources and tools for course alumni.

Event Details

Are you ready for G-CAP 2024?
Join us to get updates this August from G-CAP in Bonn, Germany.

  • 5-9 August 2024
  • UN Campus, Bonn, Germany
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G-CAP 2023 Highlights

At the Academy, Parliamentarians engage through expert-led masterclasses, leadership labs and workshops. They go on field visits to gain hands-on experiences and insights from practitioners. The five-day academy, hosted every year by the UN System Staff College at the UN Campus in Bonn, is an unparalleled platform for dialogue, learning and engagement centered on land conservation and restoration.

The ground-breaking G-CAP 2023 event took place from 21-25 August 2023, with an 29 esteemed national legislators from 24 countries in attendance. They engaged in a global dialogue on land conservation and restoration, and visited Eschweiler and the adjacent open-cast mine in Germany’s Ruhr region. This historic industrial region is re-inventing itself, including through restoring mines into biodiversity-rich ecosystems.

Testimonials from participants and speakers sharing their experiences.

“It was very exciting to have been part of the first cohort of the Global Changemaker Academy of Parliamentarians in land restoration in Bonn organized by the G20 Global Land Initiative, along with UN System Staff College. Land is fundamental to the livelihood of our communities, especially women. Yet, not enough attention is given on sustainable land management. We are going to increase awareness on this topic and address legal and legislative gaps.”

Jacqueline Amongin,
Member of Parliament, Uganda

Join us in recapping the incredible journey of the Global Changemaker Academy for Parliamentarians.
Together, we’re building a sustainable future for all.
Highlights from the first day of the Global Changemaker Academy for Parliamentarians #GCAP, the global platform for national lawmakers to collaborate and exchange ideas on #land.
Day #2 of the Global Changemaker Academy for Parliamentarians #gcap saw the lawmakers visit the fascinating town of Eschweiler, where they had the opportunity to visit an open cast mine and witness the restoration efforts around it.
On #day3 of #gcap, @shashitharoor spoke about the importance of collaboration between national legislators and international bodies, like the UN.
🌍✨ A week filled with inspiration, empowerment, and global change!

Positioning parliamentarians for
thought leadership and action in land restoration

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