The twelfth session of the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN-12), which convened from 7-12 June 2008, in Johannesburg, South Africa, adopted the AMCEN Johannesburg Declaration on the Environment for Sustainable Development. Momodou Kotu Cham, Secretary of State for Department of Sate for Forestry and Environment, attended the conference that brought together decision makers, experts from different member-States.

Held at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesbourg, the conference provided a platform for participants to discuss a number of items including: implementation of the Action Plan of the Environment Initiative of NEPAD; climate change, including sections on Africa’s preparations for developing a common negotiating position on a comprehensive international climate change regime beyond 2012 and on a comprehensive framework of African climate change programmes; AMCEN’s Constitution; the status and use of the general trust fund; chemicals and hazardous waste management; environmental education and technology-supported learning; Africa Environment Day; and the Africa Environment Outlook process and the Africa Environment Information Network.

In addition, the Expert Group met in plenary to hear presentations and discuss issues relating to the  released by the AMCEN Secretariat; implementation

of the Action Plan for the Environment Initiative of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD); reports from the African Union Commission (AUC) and NEPAD; AMCEN’s draft indicative work programme for the biennium 2009-2010; and the forthcoming launch of Africa: Atlas of Our Changing Environment.

It could be recalled that the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) was established in Cairo, Egypt in 1985 following the adoption of the Cairo Programme for African Cooperation.

For over 20 years, AMCEN has facilitated the broadening of the political and public policy debate regarding Africa’s environmental priorities and concerns. As the permanent forum of Africa’s environment ministers, AMCEN aims to strengthen cooperation between African governments on economic, technical and scientific activities in order to halt the degradation of Africa’s environment. AMCEN’s also serves as a forum to:

• provide continent-wide leadership by promoting awareness and consensus on global and regional environmental issues, especially those relating to international conventions on biodiversity, desertification and climate change;

• develop common positions to guide African representatives in negotiations for legally binding international environmental agreements.