African Ministerial Conference on the Environment
The twelfth session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN-12) took place from 7-12 June 2008, in Johannesburg, South Africa. AMCEN-12 began with an expert group segment, held from 7-9 June, which was immediately proceeded by a ministerial segment, held from 10-12 June. Climate change discussions during AMCEN-12 highlighted the urgency for Africa to articulate a common, coherent position during the ongoing international climate change negotiations for a regime beyond 2012. The expert segment, tasked with drafting decisions on a range of matters, divided into three working groups, one of which was devoted to climate change. [IISD Coverage] [IISD Summary Report] [AMCEN-12 Report] [AMCEN -12 Coverage]

Conference on Employment and Economic Growth in the Context of Climate Change
The thematic conference on employment and economic growth in the context of climate change took place at the Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya on 18 September. The event was the fourth in a series of five thematic conferences, initiated by the Danish government's Africa Commission, on: the educational challenge in Africa; women and employment in Africa; African youth and employment; and creating economic growth in Africa, convened between June-October 2008, in various cities in Africa. The event featured plenary discussions and five breakout groups which considered: water resources; food security and agricultural productivity; adaptation to climate change in urban areas; economic development and clean energy and avoiding deforestation. [IISD Summary]

Africa Carbon Forum
The Africa Carbon Forum took place from 3-5 September 2008 in Dakar, Senegal, and brought together over 500 participants, representing governments, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, academia and the private sector. The objective of the Africa Carbon Forum was to strengthen links between CDM project developers and the region's investment community, and to facilitate knowledge sharing and transactions between CDM project sponsors and buyers. It also sought to provide opportunities for Designated National Authorities (DNAs) to exchange views and share experiences on the CDM. The three-day event combined a carbon investment trade fair, a conference and policy forum for African DNAs and climate change officials, as well as targeted capacity building on the CDM. [IISD Coverage] [IISD Summary]

International Conference on Renewable Energy in Africa
The International Conference on Renewable Energy in Africa was held in Dakar, Senegal, from 16-18 April 2008. The Conference focused on the theme "making renewable energy markets work for Africa: policies, industries and finance for scaling up." The three-day meeting consisted of plenary and parallel sessions as well as a Ministerial Segment. Recommendations from these sessions were consolidated into a Plan of Action on Scaling Up Renewables in Africa, which was endorsed in the Dakar Declaration on Scaling Up Renewables in Africa. [IISD Coverage][IISD Summary]

First African Water Week
The First African Water Week (AWW-1), convened under the theme of 'Accelerating Water Security for the Socio Economic Development of Africa', took place from 26-28 March 2008 at the Sheraton Hotel, in Tunis, Tunisia. The meeting's three objectives were to provide a forum for key actors in Africa's water sector to discuss the opportunities and challenges of achieving water security for Africa's socioeconomic development, take stock of the status of achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and related targets on water in Africa, and make recommendations for consideration by the 2008 African Union (AU) and G8 summits, and the 2009 Fifth World Water Forum (WWF-5). Participants agreed on two key outputs. The 'Summary of Proceedings and Outcomes', which highlights the issues and recommendations made in plenary and working groups, and the 'Ministerial Declaration on Accelerating Water Security for Africa's Socioeconomic Development' that reflects the specific commitments that ministers' would act on. In addition, WWF-5 launched its regional preparatory process. [IISD Coverage][IISD Summary]

Tenth African Union Summit
The tenth AU Summit took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 25 January to 2 February 2008. The tenth Ordinary Session of the AU Assembly adopted decision (Assembly/AU/Dec.179 (X)), which requests the AUC to engage, in collaboration with member states, in a process to designate an eminent African personality as Special Envoy of the Union in charge of maritime and climate change matters. The twelfth Ordinary Session of the AU Executive Council adopted decision (EX.CL/Dec.413 (XII)) in which the Executive Council expresses the seriousness of the phenomenon of climatic changes, especially for African countries which are still striving to acquire the appropriate tools and mechanisms to cope with the repercussions of this phenomenon and its implications on the economic and social levels. The Council welcomed the Tunis Declaration and Action Plan on International Solidarity against Climate Change in Africa and the Mediterranean region and decided that the Declaration be referred to AMCEN and AMCOST for further discussion. In its decision (EX.CL/Dec.387 (XII)), the Council requests the AUC and the NEPAD Secretariat to prepare a common framework, coordinated by the AMCOST and AMCEN Bureaus to determine the rationale and modalities for establishing a panel on climate change. [IISD Briefing Note]

Fifth Session of the COP of the Nairobi Convention
The fifth session of the Contracting Parties of the Nairobi Convention for the Protection, Management and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment of the Eastern African Region took place on 7 November 2007 in Johannesburg, South Africa. The COP took decisions on: its Work Programme for 2008-2011; protection of ecosystems and endangered species; assessment and monitoring activities; revision of the Convention and related protocols; strengthening partnerships and institutional mechanisms; SIDS; support to Somalia; and financial matters. In its decision CP 5/3 (Assessment and Monitoring Activities), the COP emphasized the development of: projects on adaptation to climate change, and leveraging funds from the international community, including from the GEF and the Adaptation Fund, and research projects and sharing of experiences to determine the impact of sea-level rise and cyclones on coastal habitats and the risk that these pose to the Contracting Parties. In its decision CP 5/7 (SIDS), the COP urged Contracting Parties to develop projects on adaptation to climate change, taking into account the specific situation of SIDS, and to leverage funds for these projects from the international community, including the GEF and the Adaptation Fund, among others. The COP also urged the development of research projects and the promotion of sharing of experiences to determine the impact of sea-level rise and storm surges on coastal habitats and the risk that these pose to SIDS. [IISD Briefing Note]

Joint Declaration of the Abidjan Convention and Nairobi Convention on the Protection and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment
The Joint Declaration of the Abidjan Convention and Nairobi Convention on the Protection and Development of the Marine and Coastal Environment was adopted by the Heads of Delegations at the meeting of the Joint Heads of Delegation of the Abidjan and Nairobi Conventions and NEPAD meeting on 8 November 2007 in Johannesburg, South Africa. In the Declaration, Ministers and Heads of Delegation expressed concerned that climate change has far-reaching effects on their economies, societies and the environment, and noted the importance of undertaking strategic and other environmental assessments in order to avoid or mitigate adverse impacts on the environment and on ecosystem services, particularly in light of increased activity in the oil, gas and minerals sectors. [IISD Briefing Note]

Addis Ababa Declaration and Action Plan on Sustainable Biofuels Development in Africa
The first High-level Biofuels Seminar in Africa was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 30 July to 1 August 2007. The seminar, held under the theme of "Sustainable Biofuels Development in Africa: Opportunities and Challenges," was jointly organized by the AUC, the Government of Brazil and the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Participants adopted the Addis Ababa Declaration on Sustainable Biofuels Development in Africa, and an Action Plan for Biofuels Development in Africa. [IISD Coverage] [IISD Summary]

Eighth African Union Summit
The eighth AU Summit took place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 22-30 January 2007. The eighth Ordinary Session of the Assembly adopted a decision on climate change and development (Assembly/AU/Dec.134 (VIII)) in which the Assembly expressed grave concern about the vulnerability of Africa's socioeconomic and productive systems to climate change and variability and to the continent's low mitigation and response capacities, and endorsed the development of the report "Climate Information for Development Needs: An Action Plan for Africa – Report and Implementation Strategy (ClimDev-Africa)." The Assembly urged member states and RECs, in collaboration with the private sector, civil society and development partners, to integrate climate change considerations into development strategies and programmes at national and regional levels; called upon Africa's cooperation partners to support the member states and RECs to effectively integrate adaptation and mitigation measures into their development plans and to implement them; and requested the Commission, the ECA and the AfDB to develop and implement the Action Plan and to report on progress biannually to the Assembly. The Assembly also adopted a Declaration on Climate Change and Development in Africa (Assembly/AU/Decl.4 (VIII)), in which the Assembly requested the AUC to consult with AMCEN with a view to establishing the necessary mechanisms to follow up on the implementation of the Declaration, in collaboration with the ECA and the AfDB, and to evaluate progress towards attaining its objectives and to report biannually to the Summit as appropriate.[IISD Briefing Note]

UNFCCC African Regional Workshop on Adaptation
The UNFCCC African Regional Workshop on Adaptation took place from 21-23 September 2006 in Accra, Ghana. The workshop was structured around four sessions: impact and vulnerability assessments; adaptation planning and implementation; regional collaboration; and outcomes and ways forward. The first three sessions consisted mainly of country presentations followed by question-and-answer periods and open discussions. Session three, on regional collaboration, took the form of two roundtable discussions, while session four, on outcomes and ways forward, consisted of discussions in three breakout groups aimed at identifying key adaptation needs. [IISD Summary]

AMCEN-11
The eleventh session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment, took place from 25- 26 May 2006, in Brazzaville, Congo. Ministers also adopted Decision 7 on Integration of environmental dimensions into disaster risk reduction programmes in the context of the Africa Regional Strategy for Disaster Risk Reduction, in which they urged governments to integrate disaster risk reduction into development policies and programmes, such as poverty reduction strategy papers and common country assessments of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework, to support and promote understanding and awareness of the interrelationships between disaster risk reduction and development. Ministers further requested governments to develop and review policies, laws and disaster management plans and programmes to take into account environmental dimensions, particularly those relating to land use, river and lake basins and flood plains. [IISD Summary]