The Seventh Special Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) took place from 17-19th September in Nairobi to prepare for the fourth UNEA-4 (Fourth Session of the United Nations Environment Assembly) in March 2019, the Paris Climate summit in December 2018, and the African Biodiversity Summit just prior to CBD COP 14 in November 2018 in Egypt. AMCEN focused on how you can address environmental challenges through innovative solution and interventions and by promoting sustainable consumption and production. The mandate of ACMEN is to provide advocacy for environmental protection in Africa; to ensure that basic human needs are met adequately and in a sustainable manner; to ensure that social and economic development is realized at all levels; and to ensure that agricultural activities and practices meet the food security needs of the region. ACMEN delivers this mandate in various forms, for example, by strengthening Africa’s participation in negotiations for legally binding international agreements and providing support for policy guidance to promote environmental management for sustainable development.
UNEP-WCMC was present at AMCEN to provide co-ordination and support during AMCEN on the positioning of mainstreaming in general including the Connect project and the work of the African Leadership Group in particular.
UNEP-WCMC also had an opportunity to run a side event promoting the work of the Connect project and the African Leadership Group. The focus of the event was the implementation success of, and lessons from, mainstreaming biodiversity into national development planning.