Bonn, Germany – May 19, 2008 – The United Nations Environment Programme and the European Commission (EC), have joined hands in a programme designed to promote environmental sustainability in African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries within the context of MDG 7 and in line with international obligations under MEAs and to enhance the capacity of ACP countries to implement and enforce their obligations under MEAs. To highlight UNEP’s upcoming capacity development activities under this programme, UNEP organised a side event on 19 May 2008 during the Ninth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
The side event, entitled “Innovative MEA Implementation: Capacity Enhancement for ACP Countries,” brought together UNEP, acting as the overall coordinator and facilitator of the EUR 21 million EC funded programme, and several of the executing agencies of the programme. |
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The side event was opened by Mr. Bakary Kante, the Director of the Division of Environmental Law and Conventions (DELC), who highlighted the importance of capacity enhancement in developing countries. Ms. Elizabeth Mrema, UNEP’s coordinator on this initiative, outlined the structure of the Programme and described a two-pronged approach that will support MEA-related capacity-building activities through regional hubs on the one hand and focuses its efforts on the implementation of specific MEAs (Clean Development Mechanism, Combating Desertification, Sound Management of Chemicals and Clean-up of Obsolete Pesticides) on the other. This approach takes advantage not only of increased synergies through regional implementation but also of the trend that more funds are becoming available for implementation at the regional level.
Presentations were made by Ms. Kate Brown-Vittolio, one of the programme’s partners from the South Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) and Mr. Marko Berglund, DELC’s focal point for the Programme, highlighting that the capacity enhancement activities of each regional hub will include training in MEA negotiations, legislative drafting and programme design and management. Other activities will include solidifying the science base of ACP countries and public awareness. Ms. Inès Chaalala of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification’s Global Mechanism (UNCCD-GM) made a presentation on the Global Mechanism’s SolArid Programme which will use the lessons learned from the African region to extend the Programme to Caribbean and Pacific countries. Ms. Linda Collette of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) made a presentation outlining the FAO’s Obsolete Stocks project which aims to prevent any re-accumulation of new obsolete pesticide stocks and to remove and dispose of the obsolete pesticide stockpiles existing at this time.
To link the side event to the Convention on Biological Diversity, among others, a presentation was made by Ms. Jaime Webbe (SCBD) on the capacity building needs identification and activities undertaken under the CBD while Mr. Marko Berglund introduced National Capacity Self Assessments and stressed that these will be used especially by the regional hubs when developing their activities under the programme. |
