Addis Ababa, August 11, 2023 (FBC) – The nineteenth ordinary session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) will be held from August 14 to 18, 2023 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Ethiopian Environmental Protection Authority (EPA),Director General Getahun Garedew in a press briefing today said the conference will be held under the theme ‘’Seizing opportunities and enhancing collaboration to address environmental challenges in Africa.’’
More than 40 environment ministers and over 440 participants will attend the conference, he said, adding the government is finalizing preparation for the conference, according to Ethiopian News agency ENA.
The conference would enable Ethiopia to show case its achievements in Green Legacy Initiative, he pointed out.
The session will be preceded by a meeting of major groups and stakeholders (civil society) that will take place on 12 and 13 August 2023.
According to him, the focus of the nineteenth session of AMCEN is to strengthen collaboration among the various institutions and enhance implementation of regional and global environmental frameworks in order to address the environmental challenges facing the continent.
This entails building on existing initiatives, including strengthening the role of those institutions that support implementation of regional and global outcomes, he noted adding the recent policy direction of AMCEN is that a large focus of its work should support implementation.
He further noted that, the session will provide a platform for strengthening Africa’s collective engagement in the global environmental agenda, including in the various conference of the parties of environmental agreements, the (UNEA) and other multilateral processes related to combating climate change, desertification, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution, among others,
It is also expected to help ensure that the region is not only able to address the challenges in these areas but also seizes emerging opportunities for a sustainable development of the continent.
According to him, the session will be an opportunity for ministers to provide policy guidance for upcoming key environmental events, including the 28th session of the Conference of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Africa Climate Summit among others.
The session will also aim to further strengthen the work of AMCEN in its contribution to the region’s environment and sustainable development agenda.
This includes addressing emerging environmental issues, enhancing collaborative efforts with partners and stakeholders, beefing up its financial base (AMCEN Trust Fund), and review of proposals to strengthen its rules of procedure, as was decided by the resumed 18th ordinary session, among other matters.