The Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative hosts 2nd Regional Steering Committee meeting

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November 14, 2014

Dakar, Senegal, 14th November 2014 – On November 10, the Regional Steering Committee of the Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI) held its second meeting in Dakar, Senegal.
The objective of the two-day meeting was to make an inclusive stocktaking of the implementation, evaluate the achievements and explore the way forward in order to enhance the progress in the implementation of the initiative.
Speaking during the official opening, Senegalese Ministry of Environment Permanent Secretary, Mrs Ramatoulaye DIENG NDIAYE, highlighted the importance of the The Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative (GGWSSI), noting that many countries in Africa were facing the challenges of land degradation, desertification and climate change resulting into hunger, malnutrition and poverty.
“We think that the outcomes of this Steering Committee will substantively improve the coordination mechanisms of this initiative and harmonization between countries,” she added.
In his welcome remarks, Programme Coordinator, Mr. Elvis Paul TANGEM, thanked the Government of Senegal for hosting the meeting and also extended his appreciation to all the organisations that contributed to the activities of the initiative, namely European Union Delegation to the African Union, United Nations Food and Agriculture Oorganisation, Global mechanism of United Nations Conventions to Combat Desertification, the World Bank, Observatory for Sahara and Sahel and representatives of civil society and local communities.
During the meeting, participants discussed the terms of reference and membership of the Regional Steering Committee (RSC); the Status of implementation of the Initiative; and the way forward for enhancing the implementation initiative. An interactive communication Platform for the initiative was also launched.
The meeting drew participation from national and international organizations including AUC, NEPAD, United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, United Nations Conventions to Combat Desertification, World Bank, World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), SOS SAHEL, Energie- Environnement – Developpement (ENDA) and the local Media and others.
Also attending the meeting various national focal points coming from countries involved in the initiative including, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Sudan, Mali, Niger, Chad, Gambia, Burkina Faso, Mauritania and Senegal.
The Great Green Wall for the Sahara and the Sahel Initiative was endorsed in 2007 by the African Union. This initiative is aiming at tackling the detrimental social, economic and environmental impacts of land degradation and desertification in the Sahel and the Sahara region. The initiative is seeking to improve food security and livelihood of the people, while contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
For more information, please contact:
- Mr. Youssoupha MBENGUE, Senior Communications Officer, AU SAFGRAD. Email: Mbenguey@africa-union.org
- Mr. Elvis Elvis Paul TANGEM, GGWSSI Coordinator, AUC DREA. Email: elvispault@africa-union.org
For further information contact
Directorate of Information and Communication | African Union Commission I E-mail: dinfo@african-union.org I Web Site: www.au.int I Addis Ababa | Ethiopia