Progress on Africa’s Regional Preparations for Rio+20 A Presentation by the Environment, Population and Urbanization Cluster to: 12 th Session of the Regional.

Progress on Africa’s Regional Preparations for Rio+20

A Presentation by the Environment, Population and Urbanization Cluster to:

12th Session of the Regional Coordination Mechanism of UN Agencies and Organizations working in Africa in support of the African

Union and its NEPAD Progamme

22 November 2011, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

From Rio to Rio

UN Conference on Environment

and Development

UN Conference on the Human Environment

World Summit on Sustainable Development

Outline

1. Background

2. Africa Regional Preparatory Process

3. Progress Since RCM 11

4. Highlights of Africa Consensus Statement

5. Way Forward to Rio+20

Background of Rio+20

1. Background Decided by UN General Assembly - Resolution 64/236(A/RES/64/236)

20-22 June 2012, Rio de Janeioro, Brazil

20th anniversary of the 1992 UNCED

10th anniversary of the 2002 WSSD

2. Objective

To secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assess progress and gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major Summits on SD; and address new and emerging challenges

3. Themes of the ConferenceA green economy in the context of SD and poverty eradication

The institutional framework for sustainable development

Africa Regional Preparatory process

Africa Regional Preparatory process

Regional preparations spearheaded by ECA jointly with the AUC and AfDB, in strong partnership with RECs, UNEP, and UNDP

Objective of the preparations

To guide and facilitate consultations in order to ensure the coordination of Africa’s preparations for the Conference in an effective and efficient manner

Intent To:

Build consensus on Africa’s key SD concerns and priorities;

Effectively articulate them; and

Ensure that they are adequately reflected in Rio+20 outcomes

Regional preparations spearheaded by ECA jointly with the AUC and AfDB, in strong partnership with RECs, UNEP, and UNDP

Objective of the preparations

To guide and facilitate consultations in order to ensure the coordination of Africa’s preparations for the Conference in an effective and efficient manner

Intent To:

Build consensus on Africa’s key SD concerns and priorities;

Effectively articulate them; and

Ensure that they are adequately reflected in Rio+20 outcomes

Progress Since RCM 11 (i)

RCM-Africa 11 was held under the theme “Rio+20”, providing a platform to raise awareness and mobilize support to Africa’s effective preparation

Recommended that:

RCM-Africa clusters should play an active and substantive role in regional preparations towards Rio+20

The preparations and inputs to Rio+20 should be based on a bottom up approach

ECA and partners undertook activities, which took into account the recommendations of RCM 11

Progress since RCM 11 (ii)1. Workshop on Institutional and Strategic

Frameworks for Sustainable development (ISFSD) in Africa (March 2011)

Organized by ECA in collaboration with the AUC, AfDB, UNEP and UNDP

Attended by experts and policy makers from economic, Social and environmental Sectors

Examined institutions, policies and strategies for SD at regional, subregional and national level

Agreed on recommendations to achieve effective ISFSD and next steps towards effective regional preparations for Rio+20

Progress since RCM 11 (iii)

2. Workshop on Sustainable Development indicator Framework for Africa (March 2011)

Organized by ECA in collaboration with the AUC, AfDB, UNEP and UNDP

Attended by policy-makers and experts from social, economic and environmental Sectors, and National Statistical Offices

Made recommendations on the way forward towards systematically measuring and tracking progress on SD

Agreed on proposed indicator Framework for SD and a compendium of SD indicators

Progress since RCM 11 (iv)

3. 17th AU Summit, Malabo, Equatorial Guinea (June - July 2011)

Cluster held a High-level roundtable on Rio+20 at the margins of the Summit on “Mobilizing African leadership for an Effective Regional Preparatory Process for Rio+20”

Decision Adopted by the Summit

APPROVES that Africa be represented by a spokesperson to negotiate with one single voice at the international preparatory meetings for Rio+20

MANDATES the Republic of Congo to coordinate at the political level, in consultation with Member States, Africa’s preparations for Rio + 20, in close collaboration with AMCEN and ECA

Calls to TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION the need to strengthen, consolidate and transform UNEP into an international specialized institution for the environment based in Nairobi, Kenya

Progress since RCM 11 (v)4. 4th Special Session of AMCEN (12-16 Sep 2011)

Adopted the following:

• Bamako Declaration: Reaffirms that Africa will present a common position to Rio+20

• Decision on Green Economy: Welcomes the green economy as a new opportunity to advance Africa’s SD agenda and recognizes that transition to a green economy entails additional costs, which would require new and additional financing

Decision on Institutional Framework for Sustainable Development (IFSD)/International Environmental Governance (IEG):

Acknowledges the need to strengthen the IFSD in order to promote a balanced integration of its three pillars of SDSupport AU decision to take into consideration the need to strengthen, consolidate and transform UNEP into an international specialized institution for the environment

Progress since RCM 11 (vi)5. Africa Regional Preparatory Conference for

Rio+20 (20-25 October 2011)Organized by ECA jointly with the AUC and the AfDB, in partnership with the RECs, UNEP, UNDESA and UNDP

Comprised an expert and a ministerial segments

Objective: To deliberate on the objective and themes of Rio+20 and other relevant substantive matters, and arrive at a consensus on Africa’s key priorities and concerns to be reflected in the outcomes of Rio+20

Deliberated on Africa regional reports to Rio+20 on: Review on Progress towards SDNew and emerging challengesGreen economy in the context of SD and poverty eradicationInstitutional and Strategic Frameworks for SDInternational Environment Governance (IEG)Means of implementation: Bridging the gap

Negotiated and adopted the Africa Consensus Statement to Rio+20

1.Preamble

Reaffirms commitment to NEPAD and acknowledges the need to achieve its laudable objectives

Calls on Rio+20 to reinvigorate political will and international commitment to the goals and ideals of SD, to move the SD agenda forward at all levels

Calls on Rio+20 to adopt concrete measures, supported by adequate means to ensure accelerated implementation of SD commitments, including those to be adopted at Rio+20

Elements of the Consensus statement (i)

Elements of the Consensus statement (ii)

2.New and emerging challenges

Expresses concern that Africa’s progress towards SD is being severely compromised by new and emerging challenges such as: Climate change Increasing water scarcity Low resilience to natural disasters Energy crisis Food crisis

Recognize that some of the new and emerging challenges could provide opportunities, e.g. spurring transition to a green economy

Call on the international community to provide meaningful support to address new and emerging challenges

Elements of the Consensus Statement (iii)

3.Green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication

Stresses that transition to a green economy could offer new opportunity for advancing Africa’s quest for SD through economic growth, employment creation, and reduction of poverty and inequalities

Highlights the central role of the state in driving the transition to a green economy and the critical role of the private sector

Underscores the need to put in place an international investment strategy in order to facilitate the transition towards green economy

Calls for an agreement on the Global 10-YFP to promote SCP as a contribution by Rio+20 to support the transition to green economies

Cautions against using green economy to create trade barriers or new conditionalities on developing countries

Elements of the consensus statement (iv)

4.Institutional and strategic frameworks for sustainable development

Urges countries to establish, revive and strengthening national sustainable development strategies and national councils

Reaffirms the role of the ECA in promoting a balanced integration of the three pillars of sustainable development in the region

Calls on ECA, AUC, NPCA, AfDB, and RECs to continue facilitating consultative meetings and processes to monitor, evaluate and scale up the implementation of SD commitments by African countries

Recognizes the need to strengthen, consolidate and transform UNEP into an international specialized institution for the environment based in Nairobi, Kenya based on 9 defined characteristics

Elements of the Consensus Statement (v)

5.Means of implementation

Recognizes the critical gaps undermining the fulfillment of international commitments on the achievement of SD in Africa, in the areas of finance, external debt, trade investment, capacity-building, and technology transfer

Emphasizes the need to renew international community’s effort to increase ODA, debt cancellation, technology transfer, and promote equitable trading system, among others

Underlines that Africa needs to:

Capitalize on synergies among means of implementation to ensure the effectiveness of the interventions

Invest financial and human resources efficiently to meet current SD commitments and new commitments from Rio+20

Way Forward to Rio+20Africa Consensus Statement to Rio+20 will be presented to and endorsed by the African Heads of State and Government during the forthcoming session of the Assembly in January 2012

Finalization and dissemination of the background reports, elaborated and commissioned by ECA and its partners

Organization of an Africa Day at Rio+20 envisaged to provide a Platform for Africa and partners at the highest level to reflect and deliberate on Africa’s priorities as stated in the consensus statement

Support to African stakeholders to effectively participate in the Rio+20 Summit, as well as key meetings on the Road to Rio+20

To address the problem of integration of the three pillars of SD, national delegations should include ministers in charge of planning, finance, economic, social and environmental affairs

Africa’s effective participation require that the AUC, AfDB, ECA, UNEP, and other partner institutions consult on regular basis to mobilize adequate resources

Key Meetings in the run up to Rio+20

Meeting Date and venue

2nd Intersessional Meeting 15-16 Dec 2011, New York

Initial Discussions on the Zero Draft of outcome Document

16-18 Jan 2012

18th AU Summit 23-30 Jan 2012

Informal –Informals on the draft outcome document

13-17 Feb 2012, New York

Informal-Informals on the draft outcome document

19-23 Mar 2012, New York

3rd Intersessional Meeting 26-27 Mar 2012, New York

Informal Negotiations on the draft outcome document

30April -4 May 2012, New York

3rd Preparatory Meeting for UNCSD (Rio+20)

28-30, May 2012 (date likely to change)

Theme days Between 3rd Prepcom and Rio+20

UN Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20)

20-22 June 2012 Rio de Janeioro, Brazil

Thank you