African ministers hold environment meeting with call for green transition

The 20th session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) opened Monday in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, with a call for securing a green, resilient and inclusive future for the continent.

The five-day conference, held under the theme "Four Decades of Environmental Action in Africa: Reflecting on the Past and Imagining the Future," brought together more than 1,000 delegates, including ministers and representatives of multilateral agencies, civil society, academia and industry.

Mensur Dessie Nuri, president of AMCEN, said the biannual meeting offers a platform for discussing Africa's ecological challenges such as climate change, habitat loss, pollution and biopiracy, while proposing durable solutions.

According to Nuri, delegates attending the conference will also come up with the continent's common position on upcoming global environmental summits focusing on climate change, biodiversity protection, chemicals and waste management, plastic pollution and ocean governance.

Fatima Zahra Jihane El Gaouzi, head of the Sustainable Environment Division at the African Union Commission, said that consensus is key to elevating the continent's green agenda, bringing benefits to communities and vital ecosystems.

El Gaouzi stressed that regional collaboration is required to tackle ecological challenges of transboundary nature that have worsened poverty, conflicts and inequality across the continent.

Rose Mwebaza, director and regional representative of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) Africa office, said the 20th session of AMCEN presents an opportunity for the continent to reimagine a green future in the wake of intensifying climate emergencies, food insecurity, conflicts and forced migration.

In the face of geopolitical shifts and disruption to the global financial architecture, Mwebaza urged African countries to explore alternative ways of securing funds for climate action and nature restoration.

Established in 1985, AMCEN has been fostering cooperation among African governments and their multilateral partners to design and implement policies that promote environmental sustainability. The UNEP Africa office serves as the secretariat for AMCEN, manages its trust fund and helps the organization implement its mandate.