Statement by H.E. Mrs. TUMUSIIME Rhoda Peace,
Commissioner for Rural Economy and Agriculture
African Union Commission
At the Occasion of the Fifteenth Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN)

Meeting of the Experts Group

02 – 04 March 2015

Cairo, Egypt
 
- Mr. Chairman / Madam Chairperson
- Mr. Kyaruzi Representative of the Minister of State, Vice President’s Office (Environment), United Republic of Tanzania and the President of the African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN)
- H.E. Dr. Khaled Fahmy, Minister, Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs, Arab Republic of Egypt
- Eminent AMCEN Experts
- Mr. Mounkaila Goumandakoye, UNEP Director of the Regional Office for Africa
- Mr. David Ombisi of the AMCEN Secretariat
- Representatives of the Diplomatic Corps, Regional Economic Communities; African Institutions – African Development Bank, NEPAD Planning and Coordinating Agency, AUC, AMCEN Secretariat, UN Agencies – UNEP, UNDP, UNISDR, WMO, WHO and others here present
- Permit me to recognize the Representatives of the Development Partners – the EU, France, Japan and other here present
- Representatives of the Civil Society Group, the Press and Media Group
- Distinguish Delegates
- Ladies and Gentlemen

 
1. Let me start by welcoming you all to the meeting of the Experts Group of the Fifteenth Session of the African Ministerial Conference on Environment (AMCEN) and also express my warm greetings and the best wishes from the Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma.

2. I would also like to register the appreciation of the African Union Commission to the government and the people of the Arab Republic of Egypt for hosting the AMCEN session for the second time in thirty years, the warm welcome and hospitality extended to all our delegations since arrival in this beautiful, fascinating and historic city of Cairo.

3. I wish to also commend UNEP, the AMCEN Secretariat, Climate for Development in Africa (ClimDev-Africa) Programme Partners, AU Monitoring of the Environment for Security in Africa (MESA) Programme Partners; the AUC-EU-ACP-UNEP Multilateral Environmental Agreements (MEAs) Programme Partners and other Development Partners for their cooperation and collaboration with the African Union Commission and to the organizers including the local team for all the efforts deployed in convening this important meeting.

Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen
4. It is indeed significant and timely that we all converge here because it is necessary to address the challenges at hand including the concerns such as the rate at which our lands are being degraded; our forests are being cut down, the unexploited potentials of our water towers coupled with their limited protection and many others.

5. As if these are not enough, climate change and its adverse impacts continue to increase and intensify in disrupting our livelihoods and development trajectory. Therefore, these serve as a clarion call to the Experts with the guidance of the Honorable Ministers, in the African Union Member States, at the continental level, through AMCEN, in championing policies, strategies, plans of action, programmes and projects for the sustainable development of our natural resources in a manner that will meet the needs of our generation and those of the future. We, therefore, look forward to your efforts in this regard.

Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,
6. Truly, our meeting today is taking place just after the 24th African Union Summit held in January 2015 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia under the theme: “Year of Women’s Empowerment and Development towards Africa’s Agenda 2063”, where some key events took place. First, the Member States commended the leadership of the outgoing Coordinator of the Committee of the African Heads of State and Government (CAHOSCC), H.E. Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, President of the United Republic of Tanzania for steering the work of CAHOSCC from January 2013 to December 2014 including the Nineteenth and Twentieth Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP 19 and COP 20) held in Warsaw and Lima respectively. Second, I am happy to inform you that the United Republic of Tanzania handed over the coordination of CAHOSCC to the Arab Republic of Egypt after a successful tenure in Office. Third, I further wish to inform you that the Assembly urged Member States to implement the CAHOSCC High Level Work Programme on Climate Change Action in Africa (WPCCAA) that was adopted in Malabo during the AU Summit, which convened in June 2014.

7. I am delighted that the AMCEN meeting is also taking place after His Excellency, Mr. Ban Ki Moon, the UN Secretary General convened the Climate Summit on 23 September 2014 on the margins of the 69th UN General Assembly (UNGA69) in New York. The Climate Summit provided a unique opportunity for the world leaders to champion an ambitious vision, anchored in actions that will reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, strengthen climate resilience and mobilize political will, which will facilitate a meaningful and universe legally binding Agreement in December 2015 in Paris at COP 21/CMP11.

Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Delegates,

I am highlighting all these to show that our meeting today is indeed, a momentous occasion, strategic and at a critical juncture to save the life of our planet for generations to come also in view of some reasons: First, the global community is moving towards the adoption of the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction in Sendai, Japan at the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction from 14 – 18 March 2015. Second, the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is expected to be endorsed in September 2015 in New York as agreed during the World Conference on Sustainable Development (Rio+20) held in Brazil in 2012; and Third, the new Climate Change Agreement is also expected to be adopted in December 2015 in Paris, France.

Excellences, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen,

15.Looking at the agenda of the Experts Group, it is my conviction that the AMCEN has a critical role to play in ensuring the effective implementation of the AU Summit and AMCEN Decisions, particularly the issue of the implementation of the High Level Work Programme on Climate Change Action in Africa in the current global negotiations; the Operationalization of the Specialized Technical Committees of the AU, the implementation of the Decision on African Wildlife Flora and Fauna Conservation and Illegal Trade in Wildlife; ensuring that Africa continues to speak with one voice in accordance with our traditional practice in the global negotiations by reflecting the African Common Position (CAP) in the Post-2015 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in September 2015; and further advancing the African interests in the global Climate Change negotiations, under the political leadership of the new CAHOSCC Coordinator, H. E. Mr. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, President of the Arab Republic of Egypt.

Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Delegates, Ladies and Gentlemen

16. Allow me to further seize this vital opportunity to reiterate that strengthening partnerships and working more closely will move the African Environment Agenda forward faster. In this regard, I wish to conclude by reassuring you all that the African Union Commission will continue to support the CAHOSCC, AMCEN and AGN processes, collaborate with all Development Partners, Stakeholders including the Civil Society Group and the Media Personnel on all environmental related activities towards promoting environmental sustainability in our dear African continent. Lastly but not least, I wish to once again thank AMCEN, its Secretariat and the Arab Republic of Egypt for the great organization of the Fifteenth session of AMCEN in one of the globe’s splendid and historic city.

I thank the Honourable Minister for sparing time to grace the opening of the AMCEN Experts Group Meeting. Thank you Sir.

I thank you all for your kind attention.

Shukuran ! Obrigada! Asante sana!! Merci beaucoupe !!!