Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – July 8 – Lesotho has taken a bold step towards bolstering its preparedness for natural disasters and disease outbreaks by ratifying the African Risk Capacity (ARC) Treaty.
H.E. Ntsiuoa Sekete, Lesotho’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union, announced the ratification last week, marking Lesotho as the 14th nation to formally adopt the treaty.
The ARC, a specialized agency of the African Union (AU), equips member states with the tools and resources to effectively plan, prepare for, and respond to climate-related disasters and public health emergencies.
“Lesotho’s ratification signifies our unwavering commitment to African integration,” Ambassador Sekete stated. “More importantly, it demonstrates our leadership in tackling the continent’s growing vulnerability to climate crises and disease outbreaks.”
Established in 2012, the ARC Treaty has garnered signatures from 38 AU member states. It officially came into effect in April 2020.
This move by Lesotho comes just months after the country was elected Chair of the ARC Agency during a meeting of the Conference of Parties (CoP) held in Addis Ababa in April 2024. The CoP serves as the ARC’s highest decision-making body, providing final approval on critical strategies that guide the agency’s operations.
