By Faridat Salifu
The President of Pan African Vision for the Environment (PAVE), a non-governmental organization, Anthony Akpan and other African non-state actors are working to shape the environmental agenda, to ensure that African perspectives and solutions are integral to global strategies for tackling climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution.
PAVE and other African non-state actors’ focus on plastic pollution underscores the urgency of addressing this pervasive environmental issue through coordinated, continent-wide efforts and international cooperation.
The NGO and other African non-state actors focus climate change challenges were highlighted during the just concluded Regional Consultative Meeting of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
The latest regional meeting, held in Abidjan, capital of Côte d’Ivoire, from Monday till Tuesday, served as a crucial platform for African non-state actors in the environmental sector to engage in dialogue and collaborate on pressing environmental challenges.
At the just concluded meeting participants joined both in person and virtually, reflecting the diverse and inclusive nature of the discussions.
The meeting held in hybrid format meeting, with participants joining both in person and virtually, reflecting the diverse and inclusive nature of the discussions.
Ln his presentation during thebtwo- day meeting, PAVE President, Anthony Akpan focused on the critical issue of plastic pollution, a topic gaining increasing attention at both regional and global levels.
The outcome from this Regional Consultative Meeting will feed into the Tenth Special Session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) to ensure that the voices and perspectives of African communities are well-represented.
The insights and agreements reached will be presented at several major global environmental events, including the Sixteenth Session of the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD COP16) in Saudi Arabia, the Summit for the Future in New York, and the Sixteenth Session of the COP of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD COP16) in Colombia.
In addition, key takeaways from the meeting will contribute to the Fifth Session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on plastic pollution, set to take place in South Korea, and the Twenty-Ninth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC COP29) in Azerbaijan.
The UNEP Major Groups and Stakeholders for Africa continue to play a vital role in advocating for the continent’s unique environmental challenges and opportunities.
They reinforced commitment to sustainable development and environmental justice.