By Kebba Ansu Manneh
Ms Juliette Biao, Director and Regional Representative for Africa, United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) has urged African governments to strengthen resilience to the impacts of climate change and integrating more ambitious policies to halt, reverse biodiversity loss and restore ecosystem services.
The Africa Representative to UNEP made this statement ahead of the just concluded virtual African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) meeting held in Nairobi.
AMCEN was established in 1985 to promote regional cooperation between African Governments and stakeholders in addressing emerging environmental challenges. Through the work of AMCEN, there have been heightened policy responses and actions by governments, civil society, and the private sector to transform Africa’s sustainable development pathways.
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
This is the eighteenth session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) held under the theme – Securing people’s well-being and ensuring environmental sustainability in Africa”.
Addressing the continent ahead of the AMCEN meeting, Ms. Juliette Biao, disclosed that central to the theme is the need for a people-centered recovery that focuses on well-being through environmental action that creates jobs and improves livelihoods. Adding that the theme also calls for governments to align recovery measures with long-term objectives of strengthening resilience to the impacts of climate change and integrating more ambitious policies to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and restore ecosystem services.
She disclosed that during the ministerial segment, the African Green Stimulus Program (AGSP) online platform will be officially launch adducing that the platform offers a comprehensive gateway for governments, development partners, communities, and stakeholders to access information and knowledge on the AGSP.
“The AGSP, an African-led innovative initiative, was developed under the guidance of AMCEN to support the continent’s recovery in a sustainable manner from the devastating socio-economic and environmental impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The program is intended to bring about a common and unifying continental response by enhancing and forging cooperation and partnerships between African governments, non-state actors, intergovernmental organizations, and the private sector in support of a comprehensive green recovery for Africa,” Ms. Juliette Biao, disclosed.
She added that African ministers of environment will explore ways to encourage countries to prioritize green and sustainable recovery plans that deliver mutual benefits for social, economic, and environmental resilience.”
According to her, representatives from the 54 African Member States are expected to attend, it will also brings onboard a wide range of stakeholders from line ministries, private sector, civil society, development partners, and UN agencies, and prior to the ministerial an expert group meeting will also take place.