Welcome to the 20th Ordinary Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment: AMCEN.
I thank the outgoing AMCEN President, Ethiopia, for her dedicated leadership since 2023. I would also like to acknowledge the contributions made by the Bureau Members during this period, namely, Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Mauritania. Your commitment has strengthened AMCEN’s role as the premier platform for environmental policy dialogue and action on our continent.
The theme of this session is “Four Decades of Environmental Action in Africa: Reflecting on the Past and Imagining the Future.” As we celebrate the 40th anniversary of AMCEN’s establishment in Cairo, Egypt in 1985, we also must think strategically about the road ahead.
When it was formed, AMCEN’s mandate was set forth as:
- advocating for environmental protection in Africa;
- ensuring basic human needs are met in a sustainable manner;
- realizing social and economic development; and
- meeting the food security needs of the region.
At that time, the global threat of climate change, and the crises of pollution and biodiversity loss, were clouds on the horizon. Now they are in the centre of the storm.
We must create a forward-looking strategy that builds on past successes while also confronting rising challenges, such as land degradation, and resource pressures. This requires innovation, collaboration, and courage.
So, it is crucial that we here today work to identify and agree on Africa’s environmental priorities for 2025 to 2027. These priorities must align closely with regional Agenda, namely, Africa 2063…. - the Africa We Want – and, the global agenda, the Sustainable Development Goals.
Equally important is the need to strengthen the implementation and monitoring of AMCEN’s decisions, ensuring that they translate into real, measurable improvements on the ground for our people and ecosystems.
The Ministerial Policy Dialogues scheduled for this afternoon and tomorrow morning offer an opportunity to review the critical, relevant, and innovative pathways through different pillars, such as:
- Environment and Climate-resilient Financing
- Leveraging the G20 Environmental Priorities
- Digital Technologies and Artificial Intelligence for Sustainability; and
- Critical Minerals and Energy Transition.
These are the issues which will shape the continent’s future.
UNEP stands ready to provide technical and policy support to help turn these important conversations into actions that deliver impact where it is most needed.
That’s why the theme of UNEA-7, to be held here in Nairobi in December, is “Advancing sustainable solutions for a resilient planet.”
The agenda and outcomes of UNEA-7 will be driven by its participants, the member states, so I encourage all African ministers here to actively engage both before and during the Assembly, to ensure that Africa’s priorities are fully represented and championed on the global stage.
I also invite this session to discuss and agree on the idea of equally engaging the finance, planning and development ministers by convening a joint or back-to-back session in 2027 with the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development. Integrating the environmental sustainability agenda and economic planning is essential for achieving sustainable development, and finance is central to this goal. Close cooperation between our environment and finance ministries will help us secure the resources and policy coherence needed at national level.
Lastly, I would like to acknowledge and support ongoing efforts to strengthen the AMCEN Trust Fund. I encourage all member states to meet their financial commitments, and UNEP is ready to assist in exploring innovative financing mechanisms to ensure AMCEN’s financial sustainability.
Colleagues –
We at UNEP remain steadfast in our commitment to supporting AMCEN and all African countries in achieving environmental sustainability.
I wish all participants a positive exchange of views, productive dialogue, and renewed determination to work together to build a sustainable, resilient Africa for all.
Thank you.
