The ministerial segment of the twelfth session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN-12) continued on Wednesday, 11 June 2008, at the Sandton International Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa. Ministers, heads of delegations and their advisors met throughout the day to engage in policy dialogue on: the Bali Action Plan; financing for climate change adaptation and environmental programmes and projects; and international environmental governance and UN reform. In the evening, delegates attended a gala dinner, during which IISD’s publication of Environment and Development Decision Making in Africa 2006-2008 was launched by the President of AMCEN.
Policy Dialogue I: Climate Change - UNFCCC Bali Action Plan
L-R: Jackson Kiptanui Kiplagat, Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources (Kenya); Ali Goutali, Ambassador of Tunisia to South Africa; Juliette Biao Koudénoukpo, Minister of Environment and Protection of Nature (Benin); andPeter Acquah, Officer in Charge, UN Environment Programme (UNEP) - Regional Office Africa (ROA)
Informal consultations before the opening of the session. L-R: Jackson Kiptanui Kiplagat, Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources (Kenya); Amb. Ali Goutali, Ambassador of Tunisia to South Africa (Tunisia); Achim Steiner, UNEP Executive Director; and Juliette Biao Koudénoukpo, Minister of Environment and Protection of Nature (Benin).
Juliette Biao Koudénoukpo, Minister of Environment and Protection of Nature (Benin)
Amb. Ali Goutali, Ambassador of Tunisia to South Africa (Tunisia)
Jackson Kiptanui Kiplagat, Assistant Minister for Environment and Natural Resources (Kenya)
Ogunlade Davidson (Sierra Leone)
Abdelkader Mekideche (Algeria)
Mahmoud El Fallah (Libya)
Dayotobe Tovondriaka (Madagascar)
Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah, Minister of Environment and Tourism (Namibia)
Mithika Mwenda, Climate Network Africa (South Africa).
Sidi El Moctar Cheiguer, African Network of Environmental Journalists
Sidy Gueye (Senegal)
Participants during a tea break before the Financing Resources Session.
Policy Dialogue II: Financing Adaptation and Environmental Programmes and Projects
L-R: Yogesh Vyas, Lead Environmental Specialist, African Development Bank; and Sylvie Lemmet, Director, Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, UNEP
Halima Tayo Alao, Minister for Environment, Housing and Urban Development, Nigeria, chaired Policy Dialogue II.
Sylvie Lemmet, Director, Division of Technology, Industry and Economics, UNEP, gave an overview of financing climate change-related projects and programmes in Africa.
L-R: Hany Shalaby, African Development Bank; Sylvie Lemmet, UNEP; Halima Tayo Alao (Nigeria); Peter Acquah, UNEP ROA; and Sekou Toure, Global Environment Facility
Policy Dialogue III: International Environmental Governance and UN Reforms
L-R: Alf Wills (South Africa); Achim Steiner, Executive Director, UNEP; Momodou Cham, First Vice Chair of the Bureau to the Abidjan Convention; and Peter Acquah, UNEP ROA
Alf Wills, Ministry of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, South Africa, presented on UNEP.
Achim Steiner, Executive Director, UNEP, discussed the future of global environmental governance.
UN Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) Side Event
L-R: Gustavo Mañez i Gomis, UNITAR; Merle Sowman, University of Cape Town; Zaheer Fakir (South Africa); Berhanu Solomon Genet (Ethiopia); Mohamed Hamouda (Libya); Mary Fosi Mbantenkhu (Cameroon); and Hany Shalaby, African Development Bank
Zaheer Fakir (South Africa)
Mohamed Hamouda (Libya), stressed the importance of involving civil society in environmental management initiatives.
Berhanu Solomon Genet (Ethiopia), shared Ethiopia's experience in environmental management and governance.
Merle Sowman, Director, Environment Evaluation Unit, University of Cape Town, talked about the value of public participation in environmental management.
Mary Fosi Mbantenkhu (Cameroon) highlighted the positive impact public participation has had on environmental management and governance in Cameroon.
Participants during the UNITAR side event.
Around the conference
Gala Dinner
Lerato Mbele, Consumer News and Business Channel
Marthinus van Schalkwyk, Minister of Environmental Affairs and Tourism, South Africa, opened the launch of Environment and Development Decision Making in Africa 2006-2008 written by Richard Sherman, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), African Regional Coverage, Programme Manager.
IISD RS Resources IISD RS summary report of AMCEN-11, 22-26 May 2006, Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo (HTML - PDF) African Regional Coverage Linkages Update - Bi-weekly international environment and sustainable development news MEA-L - A peer-to-peer listserve on multilateral environmental agreements Climate Change Policy & Practice - A knowledge management project for international negotiations and related activities on climate change
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