UNEP EXPO, NAIROBI 28 OCTOBER-1 NOVEMBER 2013

1. ACP CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECT ON MULTI LATERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AGREEMENTS (MEAs PROJECT) AFRICA HUBACHIEVEMENTS AND SUSTAINABILITY UNEP EXPO, NAIROBI 28 OCTOBER-1 NOVEMBER 2013

2. Presentation Plan

3. MEAs-Answer to Environmental Sustainability • Environmental sustainability is an important component of sustainable development and hence green economy • GE is defined as a development path maintained within acceptable limits of natural resource depletion and environmental pollution • Africa is faced with many environmental challenges-implications for African economies and socio economic development • Climate variability threaten to undermine the continent's sustainable development prospects • CC impacts are aggravated by heavy reliance on climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture • In Africa irrational exploitation and unsustainable utilization and mis-management of natural resources • The percentage of land degradation in Africa is very high , land degradation leads to declining soil productivity and consequently to declining food production and famine. African communities continue to rely on forest resources for their energy demand • Additionally there is increased use and application of hazardous chemicals and the generation of hazardous wastes, including e wastes Sahara-Sahel region of Africa Unsustainable logging in African forests

4. MEAs-Answer to Environmental Sustainability • UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), the Convention on Biodiversity (CBD), Maputo Convention on nature and naturalresources, Convention on endangeredspecies (CITES), Rotterdam and Stockholm Conventions on hazardouschemicalsincluding the persistent organicpollutants, Basel and Bamako Conventions on the control of the trans-boundarymovement of hazardouswastes, Minamata Convention on mercury, Abidjan and Nairobi Conventions on coastal and marine resources; to name a few. • Sustainable development can be achieved in Africa through MEAs- effective implementation can lead to rational resources exploitation • MEAs have been responsible for influencing important policy decisions through the development of important environmental principles and concepts • Others address sustainable utilization of specific natural resources such as water, coastal and marine resources, wildlife and pollution control • A number of advantages that are important for national development can be reaped from MEAs by parties. • These factors or mechanisms are in-built into the overall framework of MEAs to facilitate compliance and implementation

5. MEAs-Answer to Environmental Sustainability • The ratification, implementation and domestication of MEAs provide pathways for African countries to achieve sustainable development • Domestication of MEAs by countries also facilitates implementation at national level • Capacity building forms a very important component of MEAs • However, only countries that are parties to an MEA can benefit from the opportunities and advantages offered by the MEA • It is equally important that African countries are capacitated to negotiate, ratify, implement and domesticate MEAs AUC Staff at Tree Planting Exercise in Ethiopia

6. AUC Capacity Building Project on MEAs(MEAs Project) • The MEAs Project was established at AUC in 2009 • The MEAs Project has as overall objective to strengthen and enhance the capacity of Africa to effectively implement MEAs and related commitments • It does this through strengthening the capacities of the AUC, RECs and Member States to effectively implement their obligations and commitments under global and regional MEAs • The Project focuses on capacity enhancement activities • Activities formulated under these areas are implemented in collaboration with relevant regional and international partners • The Project puts emphasis on both national and institutional capacity building • The MEAs Project is part of a program destined for Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific regions • The first phase of the Project ran from 2009-2013, and the second phase is expected to start by end 2013 MEAs Project Staff with Head of Environment Division

7. Achievements of the MEAs Project Over four years of implementation, the Project registered achievements in all the areas of focus: • 6 negotiations training conducted with about 40 participants for each training; enhanced; high level interventions, refined common positions, awards received • Over 30 participants trained in hazardous waste management with BCRC Dakar-a participant is implementing clinical waste project and training local civil servants • Over 100 Journalists’ trained in environmental reporting and investigation -reporting skills enhanced • 30 MEAs focal points trained in MEAs implementation and communication • Africa is more aware of its regional conventions; strategy on ratification; more ratifications obtained; AMCEN Decisions taken • Formal links of Secretariats of Abidjan and Nairobi Conventions with AUC authorities , LBSA Protocol of AC adopted, Regional Synthesis and Position Paper for NC, 1st COP of Bamako held in June 2013 • Africans gain more confidence in AUC and its leadership MEAS Staff receiving Award at Mercury INC, Uruguay June 2012 Participants at MEAs Focal Points training, Botswana, October 2012

8. Achievements of the MEAs Project • Parliamentarians from over 30 countries trained-resulting in AMCEN Decision, a source book, network of African Parliamentarians called “Green Bird-Africa, Parliamentarian from Gabon as Chair of Sust. Dev Committee of Gabon Parliament • 40 enforcement personnel received train-the-trainers training on MEAs enforcement • 2 RECs (EAC and ECCAS) have trans-boundary ecosystem management agreements • CILSS MS have strategy on post registration of pesticides • 10 countries have multi-stakeholder collaboration strategies on MEAs- MEAs units • Uganda has its POPs Regulations in place and Burundi is working on its, Malawi and Mauritania have bio-safety laws, draft regional guidelines on border control of GMOs/LMOs annexed to AU Model Law on Biosafety • 51 experts registered on database –roster, 2 videos in English and French, DVDs, fact sheets disseminated; participation in DREA sensitisation activities e.g. tree planting in honour of Nelson Mandela Day • AH completes 90% of its planned activities by February 2013 and positive report of AH by the EU evaluators of the Project • For overall coverage of Project activities (see annexed table). Each of the 49 African ACP countries has benefited directly or indirectly from the MEAs Project activities Parliamentarians and other dignitaries at the at the Entebbe Colloquium including Commissioner of AUC, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of House of Parliament of Uganda, Minister of Environment of Uganda and some Ambassadors accredited to the AUC, June 2012 Cross section of MS of EAC at Hearing of EAC Ecosystyem Bill, May 2011

9. Way Forward-Sustainability of the MEAs Project • MEAs Project has a specific life span-cease with unavailability of partner funding • It is imperative to sustain the Project at DREA of the AUC and within Member States • The main approach to promoting and ensuring the sustainability -activities aimed at and linked to strengthening the mainstreaming of MEAs into national development policies and plans, processes resource mobilization and implementation • Sensitization of policy makers, particularly the Legislative is also key in the entire process • The creation of MEAs units at Member States level -bringing together stake holders involved in MEAs development and implementation, assisting Governments to honor their commitments under MEAs • At the level of AUC, the sustainability means incorporation of the project into the structures ECCWLM- DREA has the mandate and established structures and facilities to sustain the Project • The process of integration at AUC will necessarily involve the Permanent Representative Committee (PRC) - the AU Policy Organs are responsible for budgetary approval and structure • Need for conversion of the project into a program or unit of DREA with a budget line alimented by Member States and/or partnersand this should be reflected in the proposed DREA structure

10. Way Forward-Sustainability of the MEAs Project Efforts undertaken by DREA towards sustainability of the Project: • AUC Strategic Plan of 2014-2017, has activity entitled “Facilitate MS capacity strengthening through implementation of MEAs”. • Inclusion of the Project budget into that of DREA for adoption by the AU Policy Organs • Creation of unit to deal with UNFCCC and UNCCD related activities and establishment of program with activities related to the Biodiversity Convention • Synergizing implementation of Project activities with those of DREA and other relevant AUC departments • Capacity building activities are reflected in the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD)-AUC Environmental Action Plan • DREA requests to donors for funding include activities related to capacity building on MEAs • Work plan of Cluster 4 of the Regional Coordination Mechanism (RCM) includes activities on capacity building on MEAs Efforts undertaken by the MEAs Project: • The trainings delivered by the Project were designed as training of trainers so that participants could replicate the training in their own countries. • Organisation of colloquium to sensitize Parliamentarians • Development of sustainability strategy which includes resource mobilization • Inclusion in MEAs work plan for phase II activity lines related to sustainability of the Project • Concept note developed and sent to regional institutions for possible collaboration in phase II

11. Way Forward-Sustainability of the MEAs Project Show of ownership of the MEAs Project by MS, regional institutions, and RECs : • More confidence shown in AUC leadership by MS and RECs and high demand for AUC continued participation in regional activities • MS recommendations during FPt training contributed in shaping work plan for phase II • RECs request for collaboration in implementing capacity building activities on MEAs in their regions (EAC, ECCAS, ECOWAS) • Several regional institutions have expressed interest to work with Project during phase II (BIOPAMA, IUCN-Africa, RAMCEA, IASPC, BCCC, PAP etc) • Countries that benefitted from Project support during phase I are setting up MEAs units • Parliamentarians that received training in phase I - “Green Bird Africa” to promote environmental sustainability in Africa • A participant who benefitted from training on biomedical waste-a project to train stakeholders on bio medical wastes in his country. Expected Role of UNEP in sustaining MEAs Project • Facilitator and funds manager for the MEAs Project • Adviser and guidance to the Project, synergizing activities of UNEP Dpts and MEAs Sect with those of AUC • Provision of resource persons and participation in development of technical documents • Training in negotiations skills and support in pre-COP/MOP preparatory meetings • International lobbying for donor funding • Visibility raising of the importance of the AU/EU/UNEP partnership in capacity building • Acting as good will Ambassador for the MEAs Project to garner additional financial resources from the donor until the Project is fully incorporated in the AUC

12. Expectation from Forum-Partnership for Implementation of phase II WE SEEK YOUR COLLABORATION AND PARTNERSHIP THANK YOU Ms. Fatoumata Jallow Ndoye Project CoordinatorEC-ACP Capacity Building Project on MEAsDREA, African Union CommissionAddis Ababa, EthiopiaTel: 00251 911 898006email: NdoyeF@africa-union.org/fnjallow@yahoo.comwebsite: www.africa-union.org MEAS PROJECT LINKS: http://meas.au.int or http://sp.au.int/MEAS/resources/documents