The African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) was established in December 1985, following a meeting of African environment ministers in Cairo, Egypt. As the continent’s leading ministerial-level body on environmental governance, AMCEN provides political guidance and regional leadership to promote sound environmental management and sustainable development across Africa.
Its core mandate is to:
- Champion environmental protection.
- Promote sustainable development that meets basic human needs.
- Advance social and economic progress at all levels.
- Support food security through sustainable agricultural practices.
From the outset, AMCEN’s approach has been participatory and inclusive—engaging governments, technical institutions, civil society, and development partners in shaping Africa’s environmental agenda. Over the years, AMCEN has helped transform how environmental issues are addressed across the region, while also strengthening Africa’s voice in global environmental negotiations and multilateral agreements.
What AMCEN Does
AMCEN plays a critical role by:
- Providing continental leadership on regional and global environmental priorities.
- Forging common African positions in international negotiations on legally binding environmental agreements.
- Advancing Africa’s participation in international environmental dialogue and governance.
- Monitoring and reviewing environmental programmes at national, sub-regional, and regional levels.
- Offering strategic and policy guidance for sustainable environmental management.
- Encouraging ratification and implementation of multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs).
- Strengthening institutional, technical, and civil society capacity across the continent.
Through initiatives, declarations, and action plans, AMCEN enables African countries to collaborate on key environmental priorities—such as climate action, biodiversity conservation, land restoration, chemicals and pollution control, and sustainable financing. Its convening power brings together ministers, experts, civil society, and development partners to align regional efforts and amplify Africa’s voice on the global stage.
Institutional Arrangements
AMCEN adopted its constitution in 1997, formally establishing itself as the permanent ministerial authority on environment and sustainable development in Africa. The Conference is its highest decision-making body and is led by a Bureau comprising a President and four Vice-Presidents representing Africa’s subregions.
The Bureau is responsible for steering the implementation of AMCEN decisions, coordinating with member states and stakeholders, and overseeing the Conference’s affairs between sessions. To support its work, AMCEN established a Trust Fund in 1991, financed through voluntary contributions, to sustain its operations and activities.
Secretariat
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), through its Regional Office for Africa, serves as the Secretariat of AMCEN. UNEP provides institutional, technical, and logistical support to the Conference, facilitates coordination with member states and partners, manages the AMCEN Trust Fund, and ensures continuity between sessions. UNEP also works closely with the AMCEN Bureau to implement decisions, mobilize resources, and strengthen Africa’s engagement in regional and global environmental processes.
