Regional Consultation Meeting Nairobi, 26-27 October 2006
African Civil Society holds Consultations in Nairobi ahead of the 8th UNEP Global Civil Society Forum
About 40 representatives of the African Civil Society, from all the Sub-regions in the continent are gathering in Nairobi from 26-27 October 2006 to discuss the region’s input to the eighth Global Civil Society Forum (GCSF) to be held in February 2007 in Nairobi, Kenya, prior to the 24th session of the UNEP Governing Council / Global Ministerial Environment Forum (24th GC/GMEF), scheduled from 5 to 9 February 2007.
Issues to be discussed include:
Water and the Environment- updated water policy and strategy of the United Nations Environment Programme with a focus on freshwater resources;
Chemical management and the Strategic approach to International Chemical Management (SAICM) as a background paper intended to stimulate discussion and highlight chemicals management issues of concern to Governments;
Poverty and the Environment;
Gender and the Environment as a response to the mandate given to the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme to integrate further gender equality and environment activities into the programme of work of UNEP;
Globalization, Ecosystems services and Human well being: discussions will cover the challenge of globalization, environmental risks and human well being, opportunities of globalization, environmental opportunities and policies issues.
UNEP also recognizes the role of Indigenous Peoples as one of the 9 major groups and is therefore providing a targeted support to indigenous peoples’ representatives. Other major groups represented at the Nairobi consultations include Women, Youth, NGOs, Local Authorities, Worker and Trade Unions, Business and Industry, Scientific community, and Farmers associations.
The meeting will have a wide representation of African countries including: Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo Brazzaville, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria, Senegal, Swaziland, Togo, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
